Video data recording/reproducing system, audio/video data recording/reproducing device, its system, and data reproducing device

ABSTRACT

An AV data input/output controlling circuit is connected through a data bus to a synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit and through a control bus to a recording and reproduction controlling circuit. The AV data input/output controlling circuit inputs and outputs audio and/or video data of a normal data rate. The AV data input/output controlling circuit also inputs and outputs audio and/or video data of a higher data rate than usual. In the data recording and reproducing apparatus, audio and/or video data is transferred through a data bus synchronized with a reference synchronization signal S 28  etc., the audio and/or video data input from an external unit is recorded in a storage device, and the audio and/or video data recorded in the storage device is reproduced and supplied to the outside.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a video data recording and reproducingsystem, an audio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatusand a system for the same, and a data reproducing means for recordingaudio and video data, or one of the same (audio and/or video data), ofdigital format and reproducing the recorded audio and/or video data.

BACKGROUND ART

For example, in a television broadcasting station, a video to betelecast in a news program etc. is usually produced by recording thevideos (source video or stock videos) and sound serving as the basis ofthe video to be telecast by a TV camera etc. with a built in video taperecorder (VTR apparatus) on video tapes, individually managing these,then having an editor, if necessary, use a VTR apparatus in an editingroom to reproduce one or more sets of the audio and/or video data (AVdata) recorded on the video tapes, combine the reproduced stock videos,and record the video to be actually broadcast on another tape.

However, when managing stock video signal in a state recorded on videotapes, the work efficiency for selecting the necessary video from amonga large number of stock video signals becomes bad and there also existsa need for conveying the tape on which the stock video signal isrecorded from the storage place to the editing room. Further, it is hardfor a number of editors to share stock video signal. Such a disadvantageis particularly conspicuous where a large number of stock video signalsare used for the production of one news video.

Further, a news video signal produced on a VTR tape is generallymanually carried to and loaded in a VTR apparatus for transmitting theprogram or a cart machine wit a built-in VTR apparatus for transmittingthe program. However, it is also necessary to perform operations such asmanagement of the news video at the stage of transmitting the program ora change of the order transmission by hand, so the efficiency is poorand mistakes due to human error may occur, so there is insufficientreliability.

In order to overcome such a disadvantage, use is made of a so-calledserver system used in a computing system enabling centralized managementand use of the stock video or the video for broadcasts and common use ofstock video.

However, a conventional server system of the same configuration as acomputer is not always suitable for recording and reproducing highquality audio and/or video data in a television broadcasting station.The reason for this will be explained below. The data transfercapability of the bus is insufficient and the system size orexpandability of the system is limited, copying (dubbing) of the audioand/or video data takes a relatively long time, synchronous connectionwith existing broadcasting equipment is difficult, the absolute amountof the system delay time is large and not constant, there is apossibility that audio and/or video data compressed and coded with ahigh compression rate will end up deteriorating to an extent where itcannot be used for television broadcasting, and other numerousdisadvantages will arise.

The present invention was made in consideration with the abovedisadvantages of the prior art and has as its object to provide a videodata recording and reproducing system and an audio and/or video datarecording and reproducing apparatus and its system which enable dubbingof audio and/or video data from a VTR or other audio and/or video datareproducing apparatus to a recording and reproducing apparatus in aserver system in a relatively short time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a video datarecording and reproducing system and an audio and/or video datarecording and reproducing apparatus and its system which enable audioand/or video data to be reproduced at a high speed so as to enabledubbing of audio and/or video data in a recording and reproducingapparatus in a server system in a relatively short time.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video datarecording and reproducing system and an audio and/or video datarecording and reproducing apparatus and its system which, in a broadcastsystem of a television broadcasting station, enable the size andfunction of the server system for the audio and/or video data to bechanged corresponding to the size of operations of each televisionbroadcasting station or the type of operations to which the broadcastsystem is applied in the same television broadcasting station, which canbe easily changed in function and structure, and which are low in cost.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video datarecording and reproducing system and an audio and/or video datarecording and reproducing apparatus and its system which can handleaudio and/or video data in slave synchronization with a referencesynchronization signal etc. input from an external unit by taking intoaccount the fact that the sending and transmission of the audio and/orvideo data is usually performed in strict synchronization with thereference synchronization signal or the time code in a broadcast systemin a television broadcasting station and taking into account the ease ofconnection to the already existing broadcasting equipment.

Further, still another object of the present invention is to provide avideo data recording and reproducing system and an audio and/or videodata recording and reproducing apparatus and its system which caneliminate as many of the parts causing the system delay time in theaudio and/or video data handled and thereby reduce the system delay timeand, when operating under the control of an external control device,which can quickly adapt to control from the external control device byhaving the control commands from the external control device directlysupplied to the portion performing the processing.

Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a videodata recording and reproducing system and an audio and/or video datarecording and reproducing apparatus and its system wherein the audioand/or video data are transferred and exchanged in synchronization withthe reference synchronization signal as much as possible in thebroadcast system and the portions requiring the synchronous/asynchronousconversion processing can be reduced.

Further, still another object of the present invention is to provide anaudio a video data recording and reproducing system and an audio and/orvideo data recording and reproducing apparatus and its system enablingthe transfer and exchange of base band digital audio and/or video data.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide anon-tracking type magnetic tape data reproducing apparatus (VTRapparatus) with which multiple speed reproduction is possible whileusing mechanical parts having a precision equivalent to that of a VTRapparatus performing normal speed reproduction.

Also, another object of the present invention is to provide anon-tracking type magnetic tape data reproducing apparatus with whichmultiple speed reproduction is possible without use of special highspeed operating parts in an equalizing processing circuit or an errorcorrection processing circuit etc.

Further, still another object of the present invention is to provide amagnetic tape data reproducing apparatus wherein the performances ofother special reproduction processing facilities, for example, the jogshuttle reproduction facility, are enhanced by actively using thecomponents used for realizing the multiple speed reproduction.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To attain the above object, the video recording and reproducing systemaccording to the present invention is a video data recording andreproducing system provided with a recording and reproducing apparatushaving a recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducingvideo data and an input/output controlling means for supplying to therecording and reproducing means the video data supplied from the outsideand a reproducing apparatus having a reproducing means for reproducingthe video data from a recording medium and supplying it to theinput/output controlling means and a controlling means for controllingthe reproducing means so as to reproduce the video data from therecording medium at a designated reproduction speed, characterized inthat the controlling means of the reproducing apparatus inquires aboutthe reproduction speed of the video data to the input/output controllingmeans of the recording and reproducing apparatus, receives reproductionspeed authorization data or reproduction speed designation data suppliedfrom the input/output controlling means and controls the reproducingmeans of the reproducing apparatus so as to reproduce the video datafrom the recording medium at the designated speed based on the receivedreproduction speed authorization data or reproduction speed designationdata.

Further, an audio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatusaccording to the present invention has a recording and reproducing meansfor recording and reproducing audio and/or video data; a firstinput/output controlling means for receiving a control input signal froman external unit and inputting and outputting the audio and/or videodata of a first data rate with the recording and reproducing means inaccordance with the received control input signal; a second input/outputcontrolling means for receiving the control input signal and inputtingand outputting the audio and/or video data of a second data rate higherthan the first data rate with the recording and reproducing means inaccordance with the received control input signal; and a recording andreproduction controlling means for transmitting and receiving apredetermined control signal to and from at least the first input/outputcontrolling means and the second input/output controlling means andcontrolling the input/output controlling means of the first input/outputcontrolling means and the second input/output controlling means.

Preferably, the recording and reproduction controlling means has arecording region assigning means for receiving a notification of arecording request signal requesting the recording of the input audioand/or video data input from the external unit to the recording andreproducing means from the first input/output controlling means and thesecond input/output controlling means and assigning the recordingregions of the recording and reproducing means in which the input audioand/or video data is to be recorded and a recording region notifyingmeans for notifying the first input/output controlling means and thesecond input/output controlling means of the recording regionnotification signal indicating the recording regions of the recordingand reproducing means assigned to the input audio and/or video data andeach of the first input/output controlling means and the secondinput/output controlling means has a recording request notifying meansfor notifying the recording and reproduction controlling means of therecording request signal from the external unit and a recordingcontrolling means for receiving the recording region notification signaland controlling the recording and reproducing means and making the samerecord the input audio and/or video data in the recording regions of therecording and reproducing means indicated by the received recordingregion notification signal.

Preferably, the recording and reproducing control means has a recordingregion searching means for receiving the notification of thereproduction request signal requesting the reproduction of the audioand/or video data recorded in the recording and reproducing means andoutput of the same to the external unit from the input/outputcontrolling means and searching for the reproduction regions of therecording and reproducing means in which the audio and/or video data forwhich the reproduction was requested is recorded and a reproductionregion notifying means for notifying the first input/output controllingmeans of the reproduction region notification signal indicating thereproduction regions of the recording and reproducing means found as aresult of search; each of the first input/output controlling means andthe second input/output controlling means has a recording andreproduction notifying means for receiving the reproduction requestsignal from the external unit and notifying the recording andreproduction controlling means of the same, a reproduction controllingmeans for receiving the reproduction region notification signal from thereproduction region notifying means of the recording and reproductioncontrolling means and controlling the recording and reproducing means,reproducing the input audio and/or video data from the reproductionregions of the recording and reproducing means indicated by the receivedreproduction region notification signal, and outputting the same to theexternal unit, and an ending notifying means for receiving an audioand/or video data ending signal indicating the ending of the audioand/or video data for which the reproduction was requested from therecording and reproducing means and notifying the external unit of thesame; and the recording and reproducing means has an audio and/or videodata ending means for notifying the first input/output controlling meansof the audio and/or video data ending signal indicating the ending ofthe audio and/or video data when the reproduced audio and/or video datais ended.

Preferably, the first input/output controlling means, the secondinput/output controlling means, and the recording and reproducing meansare connected via a same data bus and the first input/output controllingmeans, the second input/output controlling means, and the recording andreproducing means are connected via the same control bus.

Preferably, the recording and reproducing means records and reproducesaudio and/or video data with respect to a recording medium capable ofrecording and reproducing audio and/or video data of a base band of thefirst data rate.

In the audio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatusaccording to the present invention, the recording and reproducing meansrecords the audio and/or video data on a predetermined recording mediumsuch as a hard disc, magneto-optical disc, semiconductor memory, or VTRtape.

The first input/output controlling means is used for the input/output ofthe audio and/or video data of the usual data rate (first data rate; inreal time) obtained by reproducing from the VTR tape by for example aVTR apparatus at a usual speed (normal speed). To the first input/outputmeans is connected, for example, a control device controlling the audioand/or video data recording and reproducing apparatus according to thepresent invention, for example, an editing apparatus. Each of theinput/output controlling devices receives the control input signal. Whenthe received control input signal is a recording request signalrequesting for example the recording and reproducing means to record theaudio and/or video data, the input/output controlling means receivingthis signal notifies the recording and reproduction controlling means ofthe recording request signal via the bus for control.

The recording and reproduction controlling means receiving thenotification of the recording request signal assigns recording regionsof the recording and reproducing means to the input audio and/or videodata to be input for the recording and returns a recording regionnotification signal indicating the assigned recording regions to theinput/output controlling means.

The input/output controlling means controls the recording andreproducing means, transfers the input audio and/or video data via thedata bus, and makes the recording and reproducing means record the audioand/or video data in the notified recording regions.

When the received control input signal is for example a reproductionrequest signal requesting reproduction of the audio and/or video datarecorded in the recording and reproducing means and output of the sameto the external unit, the input/output controlling means receiving thissignal notifies the recording and reproduction controlling means of thereproduction request signal via the control use bus.

The recording and reproduction controlling means receiving thenotification of the reproduction request signal searches for therecording regions of the recording and reproducing means in which theaudio and/or video data for which the reproduction was requested isrecorded and returns a reproduction region notification signalindicating the found recording regions to the input/output controllingmeans via the control use bus.

The second input/output controlling means is used for the input/outputof audio and/or video data of a high speed data rate (second data rate;not in real time) obtained by reproducing from the VTR tape by forexample a VTR apparatus while shortening the reproduction time to ½ or ⅓and to which for example a high speed transmission device is connectedand performs similar processing to that of the first input/output means.

The input/output controlling means controls the recording andreproducing means via the control use bus and makes the same reproducethe audio and/or video data for which the reproduction was requestedfrom the recording regions indicated by the reproduction regionnotification signal.

When the recording and reproducing means ends the reproduction of theaudio and/or video data for which the reproduction was requested, anaudio and/or video data ending notification signal indicating thecompletion of the reproduction processing (ending of the audio and/orvideo data for which the reproduction was requested) is returned to theinput/output controlling means via the control use bus. The input/outputcontrolling means further notifies this fact to the control deviceconnected to the external unit.

Further, an audio and/or video data recording and reproducing systemaccording to the present invention has a plurality of audio and/or videodata recording and reproducing apparatuses; each of the audio and/orvideo data recording and reproducing apparatuses having a recording andreproducing means for recording and reproducing the audio and/or videodata, a first input/output controlling means for receiving a controlinput signal from the external unit and inputting and outputting audioand/or video data of a first data rate with the recording andreproducing means in accordance with the received control input signal,a second input/output controlling means for receiving a control inputsignal and inputting and outputting audio and/or video data of a seconddata rate higher than the first data rate with the recording andreproducing means in accordance with the received control input signal,and a recording and reproduction controlling means for transmitting andreceiving a predetermined control signal to and from at least the firstinput/output controlling means and the second input/output controllingmeans and controlling the first input/output controlling means and thesecond input/output controlling means; the recording and reproductioncontrolling means having a recording region assigning means forreceiving a notification of a recording request signal requesting therecording of the input audio and/or video data input from the externalunit to the recording and reproducing means from the first input/outputcontrolling means and the second input/output controlling means andassigning recording regions of the recording and reproducing means inwhich the input audio and/or video data is to be recorded and arecording region notifying means for notifying the first input/outputcontrolling means and the second input/output controlling means of therecording region notification signal indicating the recording regions ofthe recording and reproducing means assigned to the input audio and/orvideo data; and each of the first input/output controlling means and thesecond input/output controlling means having a recording requestnotifying means for notifying the recording and reproduction controllingmeans of the recording request signal from the external unit and arecording controlling means for receiving the recording regionnotification signal and controlling the recording and reproducing meansand making the same record the input audio and/or video data in therecording regions of the recording and reproducing means indicated bythe received recording region notification signal; and the secondinput/output controlling means of the plurality of audio and/or videodata recording and reproducing apparatuses are connected, and the audioand/or video data of the second data rate is transmitted and receivedbetween these audio and/or video data recording and reproducingapparatuses.

Further, the data reproducing apparatus according to the presentinvention is a data reproducing apparatus having a rotary drum, n (n≧2)number of data reading head means disposed on an outer peripheralsurface of the rotary drum, and a data reproducing means and reproducingrecorded data alternately recorded on helical tracks of the taperecording medium at a first azimuth angle and a second azimuth angle byusing identification data recorded on the helical tracks and indicatingan order of the recorded data, in which the rotary drum rotates at aconstant rotational speed to make the n number of data reading headmeans scan the helical tracks; each of the n number of data reading headmeans has two first reproducing heads which scan the helical tracks saidhelical track given the first azimuth angle and a helical trackseparated by one track distance and read the recorded data and theidentification data and two second reproducing heads which scan thehelical tracks said helical track given the first azimuth angle and ahelical track separated by one track distance and read the recorded dataand the identification data; the data reproducing means has an errordetecting means for detecting the error of each of the identificationdata and the recorded data read by the n number of data reading headmeans, a data selecting means for selecting each recorded data havingthe smallest error from among the recorded data read by each of the nnumber of data reading head means, and a data arranging means forarranging the recorded data selected based on the identification datacorresponding to each of the selected recorded data in the order of thetime of the recording and outputting the same.

Preferably, the data reproducing means has a plurality of errordetecting means which are provided individually corresponding to the nnumber of data reading head means or parts and detect the error of eachof the recorded data read by the respectively corresponding data readinghead means and a plurality of data selecting means which are providedindividually corresponding to the n number of data reading head means orparts and select the recorded data having the smallest error from amongthe recorded data whose error was detected by the respectivelycorresponding error detecting means; and the data arranging meansarranges and outputs the recorded data selected by each of the n numberof data selecting means in the order of the time of recording based onthe corresponding identification data.

Preferably, the tape recording medium travels at a travelling speed of mtimes (2≦|m|≦n) the travelling speed when reproducing the recorded dataat normal speed; the rotary drum rotates at a rotational speedcorresponding to the travelling speed of the tape recording medium whenreproducing the recorded data at normal speed to make the n number ofdata reading head means scan the helical tracks; the n number of datareading head means scanning the helical tracks read the recorded dataand the identification data from each of the scanned helical tracks; andthe data reproducing means arranges the recorded data read by the mnumber of data reading head means among the n number of data readinghead means in the order of the time of the recording based on thecorresponding identification data and outputs the recorded data atm×speed.

Preferably, the recorded data is audio and/or video data; the taperecording medium travels at a travelling speed different from thetravelling speed when reproducing the audio and/or video data at normalspeed; the rotary drum rotates at a rotational speed corresponding tothe travelling speed of the tape recording medium to makes all or onepart of the n number of data reading head means scan the helical tracks;each of the data reading head means scanning the helical tracks readsthe audio and/or video data and the identification data from each of thescanned helical tracks; the data reproducing means further has abuffering means for buffering the audio and/or video data arranged inthe order of the time of recording and outputting the same; and theaudio and/or video data read by the data reading head means scanning thehelical tracks is sequentially output to perform jog shuttlereproduction.

In the VTR apparatus (data reproducing apparatus) according to thepresent invention, the helical tracks of the tape recording medium (VTRtape), which have alternately Inverting azimuth angles, are scanned by n(for example n=4) number of data reading head means each having twopositive azimuth angle (first azimuth angle) reproducing heads (positiveazimuth heads: first reproducing heads) and two negative azimuth angle(second azimuth angle) reproducing heads (negative azimuth heads: secondreproducing heads) disposed on the tape travelling surface of the drum(rotary drum) at symmetrical positions with respect to the center ofrotation of the rotary drum at one helical track's worth of intervals.

Further, in the data reproducing apparatus according to the presentinvention, the recorded data having a smaller amount of error isselected from among 8 (2×n) sets of recorded data (audio and/or videodata) reproduced by the 8 (2×n) reproducing heads (first reproducingheads or second reproducing heads) having coincident azimuth angle amongthese 4×4 (4×n) reproducing heads and output, thereby to reproduce theaudio and/or video data by a so-called non-tracking system.

The rotary drum rotates at the same rotational speed as that by thenormal speed reproduction even in a case where multiple speedreproduction, for example, 2×speed reproduction, is carried out, to makethe four (n) data reading head means scan all of the helical tracks ofthe tape recording medium.

On the tape recording medium, identification data indicating the orderof the audio and/or video data is recorded together with the audioand/or video data. The four data reading head means scanning the helicaltracks individually read four, i.e., a total of 4×2, sets of audioand/or video data and identification data.

The error detecting means of the data reproducing means detects theerror of the 4×2 sets of audio and/or video data read by each two of thedata reading head means having azimuth angles coincident with that ofthe helical tracks being scanned by one of the four reproducing headsand correctly tracing the helical tracks by using, for example, theerror correction code added to the audio and/or video data.

The data selecting means selects the audio and/or video data having thesmallest error from among the four sets of audio and/or video data readby each of the two data reading head means as the audio and/or videodata read by the reproducing heads (either of two first reproducingheads or two second reproducing heads) having coincident azimuth angleand correctly tracing the helical tracks. That is, the data selectingmeans selects two sets of audio and/or video data individuallycorresponding to the two data reading head means from among the 4×2 setsof audio and/or video data read by the two data reading head means.

The data arranging means arranges and outputs the selected two sets ofaudio and/or video data in the order of the time of the recording basedon the corresponding identification data.

Note that, where the data reproducing apparatus according to the presentinvention performs 4×speed reproduction, the tape recording medium ismade to travel at a speed four times the speed at normal speedreproduction, the audio and/or video data is read by using all of thefour data reading head means, four sets of audio and/or video dataindividually corresponding to the four data reading head means areselected from among the read 4×4 sets of audio and/or video data, andthese are arranged in the order of the time of the recording and output.

Further, where the data reproducing apparatus according to the presentinvention performs normal speed reproduction, the tape recording mediumis made to travel at the speed of the time of the normal speedreproduction, the audio and/or video data is read by using one of thefour data reading head means, one set of audio and/or video data isselected from among read four sets of audio and/or video data, and thisis arranged in the order of the time of the recording and output.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and features of the present invention will becomeclearer from the following description given with reference to theappended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of an example of the configuration of a server systemfor audio and/or video data adopting the same configuration as acomputer;

FIG. 2 is a view of the configuration of a data recording andreproducing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a view of the configuration of a first AV data input/outputcircuit;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a signal sequence between components of a datarecording and reproducing apparatus where the audio and/or video data isrecorded in a storage device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the signal sequence between components of thedata recording and reproducing apparatus where the audio and/or videodata recorded in the storage device is reproduced;

FIG. 6 is a view of the configuration of the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a view of the configuration of the data recording andreproducing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 view of the configuration of the AV data input/output controllingcircuit for the noncompressed audio and/or video data of the base bandin non-real time shown in the third embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a view showing the signal sequence between components of thedata recording and reproducing apparatus where the audio and/or videodata of the base band in non-real time is recorded in the storage deviceshown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a view showing the signal sequence between components of thedata recording and reproducing apparatus where the audio and/or videodata of the base band in non-real time recorded in the storage deviceshown in FIG. 7 is reproduced.

FIG. 11 is a view of the configuration of the data recording andreproducing system in a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 12 is view of the configuration of the data recording andreproducing system in a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is view of the configuration of a VTR apparatus according to asixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 14A and 14B are views of the configuration of a synchronizationblock of audio and/or video data to be recorded on a VTR tape shown inFIG. 13;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are views showing the data structure of identificationdata ID shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B;

FIGS. 16A to 16C are views showing a recording format when recordingdata (FIGS. 14A and 14B) on the VTR tape (FIG. 13);

FIG. 17 is a view of the configuration of a reproduction unit accordinga seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is view exemplifying the structure of a reproducing head unitshown in FIG. 17 for a case where the number of the reproducing heads isfour;

FIGS. 19A to 19P are timing charts showing the operation timing ofcomponents of the reproduction unit shown in FIG. 17;

FIGS. 20A and 20B are views showing a relationship between an overheadregarding the non-tracking processing and a bus band width;

FIGS. 21A and 21B are views showing the relationship between theoverhead regarding the non-tracking processing, a processing capabilityrequired for the components performing the non-tracking processing, andthe bus band width; and

FIG. 22 is a view of the configuration of a case where the reproductionunit shown in FIG. 17 reproduces the recorded data at normal speed.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Server System Adopting SameConfiguration as Computer

To further clarify the objects and features of the present invention andmake them easier to understand, before explaining the embodiments, anexplanation will be given of a server system adopting the sameconfiguration as a computer.

FIG. 1 is a view of an example of the configuration of a conventionalserver system 8 for audio and/or video data.

As shown in FIG. 1, the server system 8 is basically constituted byfundamental components of a computer, that is, a CPU 401, ROM 402, RAM403, high speed bus 404, a data recording and reproducing apparatus 406_(m) connected via a device interface 405 _(m), an audio and/or videodata compressing means 408 _(n) connected via an input/output interface407 _(n), and an audio and/or video data expanding means 409 _(n)corresponding to the audio and/or video data compressing means 408 _(n).

Further, when the server system 8 is realized on a computer differentfrom the host application system, a LAN use interface 411 connecting aLAN 410 and the server system 8 is provided.

When the server system 8 records the audio and/or video data, the audioand/or video data compressing means 408 _(n) compresses the input audioand/or video data S40 _(n) to generate the compressed audio and/or videodata S41 _(n) and transfers the same via the input/output interface 407_(n) to the high speed bus 404.

The compressed audio and/or video data transferred to the high speed bus404 is usually temporarily stored (buffered) in the RAM 403 for the dataflow rate control etc. and then transferred to the bus 404 again andappropriately recorded in the data recording and reproducing apparatus406 _(m) via the device interface 405 _(m).

Further, when the server system 8 reproduces the audio and/or videodata, the compressed audio and/or video data recorded in the datarecording and reproducing apparatus 406 _(n) is reproduced and thentransferred via the device interface 405 _(m) to the high speed bus 404.

The compressed audio and/or video data transferred to the high speed bus404 is buffered in the RAM 403 for the data flow rate control etc.similar to that at the time of recording, is transferred again to thehigh speed bus 404, passes through the input/output interface 407 _(n),and becomes the input data S42 _(n) to the audio and/or video dataexpanding means 409 _(n).

The audio and/or video data expanding means 409 _(n) decodes the videosignal S43 _(n) from the input data S42 _(n) and outputs the same fromthe system.

When the server system 8 records and reproduces the audio and/or videodata, the operations of all of the input/output interface 407 _(n), thehigh speed bus 404, and the device interface 405 _(m) are controlled bythe CPU 401 based on the command transferred from the application systemvia the LAN 410, LAN use interface 411, high speed bus 404, and the RAM403.

Note that when the operation command is supplied from not theapplication system, but the input/output side of the video signal, acontrol line S44 _(n) connected to the input/output interface 407 _(n)as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 4 becomes necessary. In this case,the command supplied from the control line S44 _(n) is communicated tothe CPU 401 via the input/output interface 407 _(n), high speed bus 404,and the RAM 403, and the CPU 401 controls the operation of theinput/output interface 407 _(n), high speed bus 404, and the deviceinterface 405 _(m) based on the command supplied from the control lineS44 _(n).

However, the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1 is not always suitable forrecording and reproducing high quality audio and/or video data in atelevision broadcasting station. The reason for this will be explainedbelow.

First, when the server system 8 handles high quality audio and/or videodata of a level that is used in a television broadcasting station, thedata transfer capability of the bus is insufficient and the system sizeor expandability of the system is limited.

That is, the data rate of the current digital format of the audio and/orvideo data used for television is 100 Mbps or more. Also the coded audioand/or video data obtained by high efficient coding of this audio and/orvideo data has a data rate of about 30 Mbps (4 Mbytes/s) as disclosed infor example CCIR recommendation 723 taking into account deteriorationdue to the editing.

For example, in the server system 8, when eight editors want to performediting work (so-called AB roll editing) at the same time using twostock videos of 30 Mbps (4 MBps), taking into account the necessity ofbuffering the audio and/or video data as mentioned above, as much as 48sets of [=3 (due to the necessity of simultaneously reproducing twostock videos and recording one video after editing)×2 (two-waytransmission for buffering)×8 (number of editors)] coded audio and/orvideo data will be simultaneously transferred on the high speed bus 404.Accordingly, the high speed bus 404 is required to have a valid datatransfer rate of a minimum of 192 Mbps just for the transfer of thecoded audio and/or video data.

Second, when the audio and/or video data is transferred to theinput/output interface 407 _(n), there is a limitation inherent in aserver system 8 in a television broadcasting station that instantaneousdisconnection must not occur, therefore there also arises a problem ofthe processing capability of the CPU 401 controlling the high speed bus404 and the RAM 403. In addition, the physical transfer speed of the busin a high performance computer is usually about 100 Mbps. According tothe configuration of the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1, realization ofediting work in which as many as about eight editors commonly use stockvideo is not necessarily easy in terms of technology.

Third, when reproducing audio and/or video data from a VTR or otheraudio and/or video data reproducing apparatus and recording that audioand/or video data by a data recording and reproducing apparatus 406 _(m)of the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1, since the data transfercapability in the server system 8 is small, dubbing takes a relativelylong time.

Fourth, when realizing a server system usable in a televisionbroadcasting station, the server system must be brought into slavesynchronization with a synchronization signal or time stamp suppliedfrom an external unit.

Usually, the sending and transmission of audio and/or video data betweenthe broadcasting equipment in a television broadcasting station arecarried out in strict synchronization with a reference synchronizationsignal or time code for the audio and/or video data.

Accordingly, so as to connect the already existing apparatuses with theserver system, it is necessary to perform the input and output(input/output) of the audio and/or video data of the server system insynchronization with a reference synchronization signal or the like.However, in the server system 8, which performs the transfer of theaudio and/or video data by using a basically asynchronously operatingcomputer, it is not always easy to perform the input/output of the audioand/or video data in synchronization with a reference synchronizationsignal or time code.

That is, in the server system 8 having the configuration shown in FIG.1, when the transfer and exchange (routing) of the audio and/or videodata are carried out by using the asynchronous high speed bus 404 andRAM 403, synchronous/ asynchronous conversion processing for passing theaudio and/or video data to be inherently transmitted in synchronizationwith the reference synchronization signal etc. through the asynchronoustransfer system inside the server system 8 and then bringing the sameinto synchronization with the external reference synchronization signalagain becomes necessary. Therefore the apparatus becomes large in sizeand also the manufacturing cost rises.

Fifth, in the server system 8 used in a television broadcasting station,a system delay occurs since the transfer and exchange of the audioand/or video data are carried out by using the asynchronous high speedbus 404 and RAM 403. This obstructs the operation of the televisionbroadcasting station system.

Regarding the system delay of the server system 8, there arises aproblem of the absolute amount of the system delay time and, inaddition, the disadvantage of whether or not the system delay time has aconstant value.

Due to the absolute amount of the system delay time of the server system8, for example, when reproducing the audio and/or video data, bufferingfor the data flow rate control etc. becomes necessary at three positionsof the device interface 405 _(m), RAM 403, and the input/outputinterface 407 _(n). It is basically difficult to satisfy the responseperformance required in editing work.

Further, as to the disadvantage of whether or not the system delay timeis constant, the components serving as the basis of the system such asthe CPU and the RAM of the server system 8 essentially operateasynchronously, therefore there is a good possibility of a change of thesystem delay time along with the elapse of time and it is not easy toguarantee a constant value.

Sixth, for example, in a television broadcasting station, where therecording and reproduction of the audio and/or video data to and fromthe server system 8 are controlled by a control device outside theserver system 8, due to the time required for the control processing,synchronization between the external reference synchronization signal,etc. and the audio and/or video data sometimes becomes impossible or asystem delay occurs. To control the server system 8 from an externalcontrol device, as indicated by a broken line in for example FIG. 1, itis necessary to connect the dedicate control line to the input/outputinterface 407 _(n).

Where the dedicated control line is connected to the input/outputinterface 407 _(n), however, the control command is communicated via thehigh speed bus 404 to the CPU 401 and communicated again via the highspeed bus 404 to the device interface 405 _(m) and the input/outputinterface 407 _(n), therefore a delay time is caused in thecommunication per se of the command for control. Further, even if thedelay time regarding the control is too short to cause a problem, thedisadvantage of the system delay of the server system 8 remains.

Seventh, in the server system 8 used in a television broadcastingstation, since the transfer and exchange of the audio and/or video dataare carried out by using the high speed bus 404 and the RAM 403, it isnecessary to raise the compression rate and transfer coded audio and/orvideo data suited to the transfer capability of the high speed bus 404.Accordingly, in the server system 8, the transfer and exchange of thebase band digital audio and/or video data free from deterioration aredifficult, and the high efficient coded audio and/or video data must besupplied to all broadcasting equipment connected to the server system 8.

The supply of high efficient coded audio and/or video data is anexcellent technique for effective utilization of hardware resources.However, the quality of the audio and/or video data after expanding anddecoding the high efficient coded audio and/or video data is alwaysdeteriorated. For this reason, there exists an occasional possibility ofdeterioration of the quality of the audio and/or video data after theexpansion and decoding to an extent that the audio and/or video datacannot be used for a television broadcast.

The embodiments of the present invention shown below are configured soas to solve the problems of the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1.

First Embodiment

Below, a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a view of the configuration of a data recording andreproducing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1 isconstituted by n number of audio and/or video data input/outputcontrolling circuits (AV data input/output controlling circuits) 10 ₁ to10 _(n), a recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34, asynchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24, a storage device 26, asynchronization signal interface circuit (synchronization signal IFcircuit) 28, a time code interface circuit (TCIF circuit) 30, and amultiplexing control interface circuit (multiplexing IF circuit) 32.

In the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1, the AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) and thesynchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 are connected to eachother via a data bus 22, and the recording and reproduction controllingcircuit 34, the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(n), and the storage device 26 are connected to each other via acontrol bus 20.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receivesas input a reference synchronization signal S28 from an external unit,for example, an external apparatus 2 (host controller system) such as anediting device, via the synchronization signal IF circuit 28 accordingto need, receives as input a time code S30 indicating the time of theaudio and/or video data and used for the establishment ofsynchronization via the TCIF circuit 30, and receives as input a packagecontrol signal S32 controlling the operation of the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) together via the multiplexing IFcircuit 32.

In the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1, the transfer of audioand/or video data on the data bus 22 in synchronization with a referencesynchronization signal and time code etc. input from an external unit ispossible, and package input/output control with respect to a pluralityof audio and/or video data becomes possible by connecting the hostapplication system such as an editing apparatus via the AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n).

By these components, the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1disperses the load of the input/output control and the recording andreproduction control regarding the real time audio and/or video dataobtained by reproducing the audio and/or video data from for example theVTR apparatus at normal speed (usual speed), simultaneously inputs andoutputs the audio and/or video data of multiple channels, and recordsand reproduces the same.

FIG. 3 is a view of the configuration of the first AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i) (where, i is an integer: 1≦i≦n, the same forthe following).

Where noncompressed audio and/or video data is input and output betweenthe external apparatus 2 and the storage device 26, as shown in FIG. 3,use is made of the first AV data input/output controlling circuit 10_(i) constituted by a microprocessor (CPU) 102, a memory circuit (MEM)112, and a data bus interface circuit (data bus IF) 114.

In the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i), themicroprocessor 102 is constituted by a one-chip microprocessor etc. witha built-in ROM storing for example the programs.

Further, the microprocessor 102 transmits and receives the controlsignal S10 a _(i) with the external apparatus 2 and transmits andreceives the control signal with the recording and reproductioncontrolling circuit 34 via the control bus 20.

Further, the microprocessor 102 controls the operation of the memorycircuit 112 and the data bus IF 114 and controls the input/output of theaudio and/or video data between the external apparatus 2 and the storagedevice 26 based on the control signal input from the recording andreproduction controlling circuit 34, the control signal S10 a _(i) inputfrom the external apparatus 2, and, if necessary, the referencesynchronization signal S28 input via the TCIF circuit 30 and themultiplexing IF circuit 32, the time code S30, and the package controlsignal S32.

The data bus IF 114 inputs and outputs the audio and/or video data viathe data bus 22 with the storage device 26 under the control of themicroprocessor 102. That is, it outputs the audio and/or video databuffered in the memory circuit 112 to the storage device 26(synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24) and outputs the audioand/or video data input from the storage device 26 to the data memorycircuit 112.

The memory circuit 112 buffers the audio and/or video data S10 b _(i)input from the external apparatus 2 under the control of themicroprocessor 102 and outputs the same via the data bus IF 114 to thestorage device 26 (synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24).

Further, the memory circuit 112 buffers the audio and/or video datainput from the storage device 26 via the data bus IF 114 and outputs thesame as the audio and/or video data S10 c _(i) to the external apparatus2.

Referring to FIG. 2 again, the components of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 1 other than the AV data input/output controllingcircuit 10 _(i) will be explained.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 transmits andreceives the control signals with the AV data input/output controllingcircuit 10 _(i), the synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 andthe storage device 26 via the control bus 20 and controls the operationof these components.

Further, the recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 managesthe recording regions of the storage device 26, determines the recordingregions of the storage device 26 in which the audio and/or video data isto be recorded where it receives a recording request signal of the audioand/or video data with respect to the storage device 26 from the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 10, notifies this to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 10 _(i), and, when the reproduction ofthe audio and/or video data recorded in the storage device 26 issupplied from the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i),searches for the recording regions of the storage device 26 in which theaudio and/or video data to be reproduced is recorded and notifies thefound recording regions to the AV data input/output controlling circuit10 _(i).

The synchronization signal IF circuit 28 receives a referencesynchronization signal such as a house clock used for establishingsynchronization of the broadcast equipment in the televisionbroadcasting station in synchronization with the audio and/or video data10 b _(i) and 10 c _(i) handled by the external apparatus 2 and suppliesthe same as the reference synchronization signal S28 to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) and thesynchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24.

The TCIF circuit 30 receives the time code, which is input from anexternal unit such as an external apparatus 2, indicates the elapsedtime or display time of audio and/or video data etc., and is used forestablishing synchronization between the audio and video in the externalapparatus 2, and supplies the same as the time code S30 to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 101 and the synchronous-asynchronousconversion circuit 24.

The multiplexing IF circuit 32 receives the package control signal whichis input from the external unit such as external apparatus 2, indicatesthe same processing content with respect to all of the AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n), and controls themtogether, and supplies this as the package control signal S32 to the AVdata input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n).

The synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 is used when the datatransfer in synchronization with the reference synchronization signalS28 or the time code S30 is carried out on the data bus 22,asynchronously records the audio and/or video data input from the AVdata input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) via the data bus 22 insynchronization with these signals in the storage device 26, and outputsthe audio and/or video data asynchronously reproduced by the storagedevice 26 to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) viathe data bus 22 in synchronization with these signals.

The storage device 26 records the compressed and coded (time-compressed)audio and/or video data input from the AV data input/output controllingcircuit 10 _(i) via the data bus 22 and the synchronous-asynchronousconversion circuit 24 on the recording medium to and from which the datacan be recorded and reproduced with a data rate of the audio and/orvideo data of the base band in real time, for example, a hard disc orsemiconductor memory, under the control of the recording andreproduction controlling circuit 34 via the control bus 20 andreproduces the recorded audio and/or video data and outputs the same tothe AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) via thesynchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 and the data bus 22.

Note that, it is possible for the storage device 26 to independently andsimultaneously record and reproduce a plurality of sets of audio and/orvideo data, and the plurality of AV data input/output controllingcircuits 10 _(i) can record and reproduce the audio and/or video data toand from the storage device 26 as if each of them had one VTR apparatus.By having such a storage device 26, it becomes possible to reproduce anypart of the same stock data at any timing.

Below, the operation of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1will be explained.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a signal sequence between components of thedata recording and reproducing apparatus 1 where the audio and/or videodata is recorded in the storage device 26. Note that, in FIG. 4, specialcase processing such as a case where there is no empty recording regionin the storage device 26 is omitted for simplification of theexplanation.

As shown in FIG. 4, a recording request signal is output from theexternal apparatus 2 to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10_(i) as the control signal S10 a _(i).

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving therecording request signal outputs the recording request signal to therecording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 via the control bus20.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving therecording request signal searches for empty recording regions of thestorage device 26 and outputs a region assignment signal indicating therecording regions assigned to the audio and/or video data for which therecording was requested to the AV data input/output controlling circuit10 _(i) and the storage device 26.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving theregion assignment signal outputs the recording authorization signal tothe external apparatus 2 as the control signal S10 a _(i).

The external apparatus 2 receiving the recording authorization signaloutputs the recording command signal to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i). The AV data input/output controllingcircuit 10 _(i) outputs the recording command signal received to thestorage device 26 via the control bus 20.

Further, the external apparatus 2 outputs the real time audio and/orvideo data S10 b _(i) (not illustrated in FIG. 4) for which therecording is requested to the storage device 26 to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 10 _(i).

The audio and/or video data S10 b _(i) output by the external apparatus2 is recorded in the storage device 26 via the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i) and the data bus 22.

When the audio and/or video data is recorded in all of the recordingregions assigned by the recording and reproduction controlling circuit34, the storage device 26 outputs the recording completion notificationsignal to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) via thecontrol bus 20.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving therecording completion notification signal outputs the recordingcompletion notification signal to the external apparatus 2.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the signal sequence between the components ofthe data recording and reproducing apparatus 1 where the audio and/orvideo data recorded in the storage device 26 is reproduced. Note that,in FIG. 5, for the simplification of explanation, special caseprocessing such as a case where the audio and/or video data for whichthe reproduction was requested is not recorded in the storage device 26is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the external apparatus 2 outputs the reproductionrequest signal requesting the reproduction of the audio and/or videodata recorded in the storage device 26 to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i) as the control signal S10 a _(i).

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving thereproduction request signal outputs the reproduction request signal tothe recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 via the controlbus 20.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving thereproduction request signal searches for the regions of the storagedevice 26 in which the audio and/or video data for which thereproduction was requested is recorded and outputs the regionnotification signal indicating the found recording regions to the AVdata Input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) and the storage device 26via the control bus 20.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving theregion notification signal outputs the reproduction authorization signalas the control signal 10 a _(i) to the external apparatus 2.

The external apparatus 2 receiving the reproduction authorization signaloutputs the reproduction command signal as the control signal S10 a _(i)to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i). The AV datainput/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving the reproductioncommand signal outputs the reproduction command signal via the controlbus 20 to the storage device 26.

The storage device 26 receiving the reproduction command signalreproduces the audio and/or video data for which the reproduction wasrequested from the recording regions indicated by the regionnotification signal received from the recording and reproductioncontrolling circuit 34 and outputs this to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i) via the data bus 22.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) outputs the audioand/or video data received from the storage device 26 as the real timeaudio and/or video data S10 c _(i) to the external apparatus 2 (notillustrated in FIG. 5).

The storage device 26 outputs the reproduction completion notificationsignal to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) via thecontrol bus 20 when terminating the reproduction of all of the audioand/or video data from the recording regions indicated by the regionnotification signal received from the recording and reproductioncontrolling circuit 34.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving thereproduction completion notification signal outputs the reproductioncompletion notification to the recording and reproduction controllingcircuit 34 via the control bus 20.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving thereproduction completion notification signal outputs the reproductioncompletion recognition notification signal to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i) via the control bus 20.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) receiving thereproduction completion recognition notification outputs thereproduction processing completion notification signal to the externalapparatus 2 as the control signal S10 a _(i).

Note that, where the same control signal (package control signal S32) isinput to all of the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(i) n from the external unit such as the external apparatus 2 via themultiplexing IF circuit 32, all of the AV data input/output controllingcircuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) perform the same recording or reproductionoperation.

Further, where the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(n) and the synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 arecontrolled so that the reference synchronization signal S28 or the timecode S30 is input from the synchronization signal IF circuit 28 or theTCIF circuit 30, and the recording and reproduction controlling circuit34 performs the data transfer in synchronization with the referencesynchronization signal S28 or the time code S30, the transfer of theaudio and/or video data on the data bus 22 is carried out insynchronization with these signals.

Second Embodiment

Below, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a view of the configuration of the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 401 according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 40 _(i)has a configuration obtained by adding the compressing and codingcircuit 120 and an expanding and decoding circuit 122 between the memorycircuit 112 and the external apparatus 2 of the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 10 _(i) shown in FIG. 3.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 40 _(i) is used in place ofthe AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) when inputting andoutputting noncompressed audio and/or video data 10 b _(i) and 10 c _(i)of the base band with the external apparatus 2 in the data recording andreproducing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2 and recording and reproducingcompressed and coded audio and/or video data in the storage device 26.

The compressing and coding circuit 120 compresses and codes thenoncompressed real time audio and/or video data S10 b _(i) input fromthe external apparatus 2 by a compressing and coding system such as theMPEG and outputs the resultant data to the memory circuit 112.

The expanding and decoding circuit 122 expands and decodes thecompressed and coded compression audio and/or video data input from thedata bus IF 114 and outputs the resultant data as the noncompressedaudio and/or video data S10 c _(i) of the base band in real time to theexternal apparatus 2.

Below, the operation of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1using the AV data input/output controlling circuit 40 _(i) in place ofthe AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) will be simplyexplained.

By the signal sequence shown in FIG. 4, the real time noncompressedaudio and/or video data input from the external apparatus 2 to thecompressing and coding circuit 120 is compressed and coded by thecompressing and coding circuit 120, output to the storage device 26 viathe memory circuit 112 and the data bus IF 114, and recorded on thepredetermined recording medium by the storage device 26.

Further, by the signal sequence shown in FIG. 5, the compressed audioand/or video data reproduced from the storage device 26 is input to theexpanding and decoding circuit 122 via the data bus IF114 and the memorycircuit 112, expanded and decoded, and output as the real time audioand/or video data to the external apparatus 2.

By providing the compressing and coding circuit 120 and the expandingand decoding circuit 122 in the AV data input/output controlling circuit40 _(i), the audio and/or video data S10 _(i) input as the audio and/orvideo data of the base band can be compressed and coded and recorded inthe storage device 26, and the compressed audio and/or video datareproduced by the storage device 26 can be output as the audio and/orvideo data S10 c _(i) of the base band to the external apparatus 2.

Note that, it is also possible to constitute the compressing and codingcircuit 120 and the expanding and decoding circuit 122 to handle eitherof the audio data or the video data.

Further, where the synchronous data transfer in the control bus 20 isnot necessary, it is also possible to delete thesynchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 and stop the operation ofthe synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24.

Third Embodiment

Below, a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) of the datarecording and reproducing apparatus 1 shown in the first embodiment isaimed at the input/output of real time audio and/or video data.

In the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1, however, only theinput/output of the real time audio and/or video data is possible,therefore, a high speed transfer of audio and/or video data between thedata recording and reproducing apparatus 1 and the external apparatus 2,for example, the audio and/or video data in multiple speed reproduction,can not be carried out, a long time is taken for the transfer of theaudio and/or video data, and the efficiency of the editing work in theexternal apparatus 2 is lowered.

Further, where the AV data input/output controlling circuit 40 _(i)shown in the second embodiment is used, deterioration of the audioand/or video data occurs due to the compression and expansionprocessing.

The data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 shown in the thirdembodiment is made so as to solve such a problem and adopts aconfiguration in which the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50for inputting and outputting non-real time audio and/or video data isadded to the data recording and reproducing apparatus 1.

FIG. 7 is a view of the configuration of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment of the presentinvention. Note that, among the components of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 7, the same components as those ofthe data recording and reproducing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2 are shownby the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 7, as the same components as those of the datarecording and reproducing apparatus 1 shown in the first embodiment andthe second embodiment, the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3has n number of AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(n) for real time audio and/or video data, the recording andreproduction controlling circuit 34, synchronous-asynchronous conversioncircuit 24, storage device 26, synchronization signal IF circuit 28,TCIF circuit 30, and the multiplexing IF circuit 32. Further, the datarecording and reproducing apparatus 3 has the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 as a component different from the data recordingand reproducing apparatus 1 shown in the first embodiment and the secondembodiment.

In the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3, the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50 is used for inputting and outputtingthe audio and/or video data (non-real time audio and/or video data) of adata rate different from that of the usual real time audio and/or videodata obtained from the VTR apparatus by performing multiple speedreproduction such as 2×speed or 3×speed reproduction with the externalapparatus 2.

Note that, similar to the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁to 10 _(n), the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 is connectedto the synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 via the data bus22. Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 isconnected to the recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 andthe storage device 26 via the control bus 20.

Further, similar to the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁to 10 _(n), the reference synchronization signal S28 is input to the AVdata Input/output controlling circuit 50 via the synchronization signalIF circuit 28 from the external apparatus 2 according to need.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receives asinput the time code S30 Indicating the time of the audio and/or videodata used for the establishment of synchronization via the TCIF circuit30.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receives asinput the package control signal S32 used for collectively controllingthe operation of the AV data Input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to10 _(n) and the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 via themultiplexing IF circuit 32.

In this way, in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3, thetransfer of the audio and/or video data on the data bus 22 Insynchronization with the reference synchronization signal and time codeetc. input from the external unit is possible.

Further, the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 can perform theinput/output of audio and/or video data in real time via the AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) with the externalapparatus 2 and, in addition, can perform the input/output of audioand/or video data not in real time via the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 with the external apparatus 2.

FIG. 8 is a view of the configuration of the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 for the noncompressed audio and/or video data ofthe non-real time base band shown in the third embodiment. Note that,among the components of the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50shown in FIG. 8, the same components as those of the AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) shown in FIG. 3 areshown by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 8, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50inputting and outputting the noncompressed audio and/or video data withthe external apparatus 2 and the storage device 26 is constituted by amicroprocessor 102, a memory circuit 500, and a data bus IF 114.

The memory circuit 500 buffers the audio and/or video data S50 b inputfrom the external apparatus 2 under the control of the microprocessor102 similar to the data recording and reproducing apparatus 112 (FIG. 3)and outputs the buffered data via the data bus IF 114 to the storagedevice 26 (synchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24).

Further, the memory circuit 500 buffers the audio and/or video datainput from the storage device 26 via the data bus IF 114 and outputs thesame as the audio and/or video data S50 a to the external apparatus 2.

Note that the AV data input/output controlling circuit 500 inputs andoutputs the non-real time audio and/or video data having a higher datarate than that of the real time audio and/or video data input and outputby the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 ₁, therefore thememory circuit 500 has a larger storage capacity in comparison with thememory circuit 112 of the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁to 10 _(n) shown in FIG. 3.

Below, the operation of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3will be explained.

FIG. 9 is a view showing the signal sequence between components of thedata recording and reproducing apparatus 3 where the non-real time audioand/or video data of the base band are recorded in the storage device 26shown in FIG. 7. Note that, in FIG. 9, for the simplification ofexplanation, special case processing such as a case where no emptyrecording region exists in the storage device 26 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the recording speed request signal is output fromthe external apparatus 2 to the AV data input/output controlling circuit50 as the control signal S50 a. The external apparatus 2 notifies thedata rate of the non-real time data audio and/or video data to berecorded in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 by thisrecording speed request signal.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 outputs the recordingspeed authorization signal notifying that the recording is possible withthe notified data rate to the external apparatus 2 as the control signalS50 a.

The external apparatus 2 receiving the recording speed authorizationsignal outputs the recording request signal to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the recordingrequest signal outputs the recording request signal to the recording andreproduction controlling circuit 34 via the control bus 20.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving therecording request signal searches for the empty recording regions of thestorage device 26 and outputs a region assignment signal indicating therecording regions assigned to the audio and/or video data for which therecording was requested to the AV data input/output controlling circuit50 and the storage device 26.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the regionassignment signal outputs the recording authorization signal to theexternal apparatus 2.

The external apparatus 2 receiving the recording authorization signaloutputs the recording command signal to the AV data Input/outputcontrolling circuit 50. The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50outputs the received recording command signal to the storage device 26via the control bus 20.

Further, the external apparatus 2 outputs the audio and/or video dataS50 b (not illustrated in FIG. 9) of the base band in non-real timerequesting the recording to the storage device 26 to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50.

The audio and/or video data S50 b output by the external apparatus 2 isrecorded in the storage device 26 via the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 and the data bus 22.

When the audio and/or video data is recorded in all of the recordingregions assigned by the recording and reproduction controlling circuit34, the storage device 26 outputs the recording completion notificationsignal to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 via thecontrol bus 20.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the recordingcompletion notification signal outputs the recording completionnotification signal to the external apparatus 2.

As explained above, in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 aswell, just by placing the recording speed request signal and therecording speed authorization signal in front of the signal sequence(FIG. 4) of the time of the recording of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 1, the non-real time audio and/or video data canbe recorded in the storage device 26.

FIG. 10 is a view showing the signal sequence between components of thedata recording and reproducing apparatus 3 when the audio and/or videodata of base band in non-real time recorded in the storage device 26shown in FIG. 7 is reproduced. Note that, in FIG. 10, special caseprocessing such as a case where the audio and/or video data for whichthe reproduction was requested is not recorded in the storage device 26is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the external apparatus 2 outputs the reproductionspeed request signal, notifying the data rate of the audio and/or videodata to be reproduced to the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3,to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 outputs the reproductionspeed authorization signal notifying that the reproduction is possiblewith the notified data rate as the control signal S50 a.

The external apparatus 2 receiving this reproduction speed authorizationsignal outputs the reproduction request signal to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving thereproduction request signal outputs the reproduction request signal tothe recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 via the controlbus 20.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving thereproduction request signal searches for the regions of the storagedevice 26 in which the audio and/or video data for which thereproduction was requested is recorded and outputs the regionnotification signal indicating the found recording regions via thecontrol bus 20 to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 andthe storage device 26.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the regionnotification signal outputs the reproduction authorization signal as thecontrol signal S50 a to the external apparatus 2.

The external apparatus 2 receiving the reproduction authorization signaloutputs the reproduction command signal as the control signal S50 a tothe AV data input/output controlling circuit 50. The AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the reproduction commandsignal outputs the reproduction command signal via the control bus 20 tothe storage device 26.

The storage device 26 receiving the reproduction command signalreproduces the audio and/or video data for which the reproduction wasrequested from the recording regions indicated by the regionnotification signal received from the recording and reproductioncontrolling circuit 34 and outputs the same to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 via the data bus 22.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 outputs the audio and/orvideo data received from the storage device 26 as the non-real timeaudio and/or video data S50 a to the external apparatus 2 (notillustrated in FIG. 10).

The storage device 26 outputs the reproduction completion notificationsignal to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 via thecontrol bus 20 when terminating the reproduction of all of the audioand/or video data from the recording regions indicated by the regionnotification signal received from the recording and reproductioncontrolling circuit 34.

The AV data Input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving thereproduction completion notification signal outputs the reproductioncompletion notification via the control bus 20 to the recording andreproduction controlling circuit 34.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving thereproduction completion notification signal outputs the reproductioncompletion recognition notification signal to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 via the control bus 20.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving thereproduction completion recognition notification outputs thereproduction processing completion notification signal to the externalapparatus 2 as the control signal S50 a.

As explained above, in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 aswell, just by placing the reproduction speed request signal andreproduction speed authorization signal in front of the signal sequence(FIG. 5) at the time of reproduction of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 1, the non-real time audio and/or video data canbe reproduced from the storage device 26.

Note that, where the same control signal (package control signal S32) isinput to all of the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(n) and the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 from theexternal unit such as the external apparatus 2 via the multiplexing IFcircuit 32, the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(n) and the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 perform thesame recording or reproduction operation.

Further, where the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10_(n). AV data input/output controlling circuit 50, and thesynchronous-asynchronous conversion circuit 24 are controlled so thatthe reference synchronization signal S28 or the time code S30 is inputfrom the synchronization signal IF circuit 28 or the TCIF circuit 30,and the recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 performs thedata transfer in synchronization with the reference synchronizationsignal S28 or the time code S30, the transfer of the audio and/or videodata on the data bus 22 is carried out in synchronization with thesesignals.

Further, in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 as well,needless to say the AV data input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) canperform the recording and reproduction of the audio and/or video data inparallel to the recording and reproduction operation of the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50.

As explained above, according to the data recording and reproducingapparatus 3 shown in the third embodiment, the input/output of thenon-real time audio and/or video data having a higher data rate thanthat of the real time audio and/or video data becomes possible, the timerequired for the transfer of the audio and/or video data to and from theexternal apparatus 2 is shortened, and the efficiency of the editingwork in the external apparatus 2 is improved.

Further, where the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 is used,since the noncompressed audio and/or video data can be transferred at ahigh speed, unlike the case of using the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 40 _(i) shown in the second embodiment, nodeterioration of audio and/or video data occurs.

Note that, by further adding the higher speed compressing and codingcircuit 120 and expanding and decoding circuit 122 to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50, the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 can be modified so as to be able to input andoutput the compressed and coded audio and/or video data.

Further, it is also possible to constitute the system so that the datarecording and reproducing apparatus 3 has a plurality of AV datainput/output controlling circuits 50.

Further, similar modifications to those shown in the first embodimentand the second embodiment are possible for the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 shown in the third embodiment.

Fourth Embodiment

Below, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be explained asthe first use of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view of the configuration of the data recording andreproducing system 4 in the fourth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the data recording and reproducing system 4 isconstituted by the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 andexternal apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂.

In the data recording and reproducing system 4, the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 has for example six AV data input/outputcontrolling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 ₆ (n=6) and one AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50, the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10₁ to 10 ₃ are connected to the external apparatus 2 ₁, and the AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₄ to 10 ₆ are connected to theexternal apparatus 2 ₂. Further, the AV data Input/output controllingcircuit 50 of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 isconnected to the high speed transmitting apparatus (not illustrated)transmitting the audio and/or video data with a non-real time data ratehigher than for example the real time data rate and transmits andreceives the control signal S50 a and the audio and/or video data S50 band S50 c with the high speed transmitting apparatus.

The external apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ are for example editing apparatusesperforming editing on the audio and/or video data, the externalapparatus 2 ₁ transmits and receives three control signals S10 a ₁ toS10 a ₃, two sets of input (when seen from the external apparatus 2 ₁side) audio and/or video data S10 c ₁ and S10 c ₂ and one set of outputaudio and/or video data S10 b ₃ with the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 ₃ of the data recording and reproducingapparatus 3.

The external apparatus 2 ₂ transmits and receives three control signalsS10 a ₄ to S10 a ₆, two sets of input audio and/or video data S10 c ₄and S10 c ₅ and one set of output audio and/or video data S10 b ₆ withfor example the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₄ to 10 ₆of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 similar to theexternal apparatus 2 ₁.

In the data recording and reproducing system 4 constituted as mentionedabove, each of the external apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ can receive theaudio and/or video data (stock data) to be edited from the datarecording and reproducing apparatus 3 and can record the audio and/orvideo data obtained as a result of editing in the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3.

By adopting the configuration shown in the data recording andreproducing system 4, the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 canrecord and reproduce the audio and/or video data according to therequest of two external apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂.

Further, the data recording and reproducing system 4 can record andreproduce the audio and/or video data received from the high speedtransmitting apparatus, reproduce the recorded audio and/or video data,and supply the same to the data recording and reproducing system 4.

Further, it is possible to supply the audio and/or video data input fromthe external apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ via the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) from the data recording andreproducing system 4 to the high speed transmitting apparatus via thedata bus 22, or output the audio and/or video data supplied from thehigh speed transmitting apparatus to the external apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2₂.

Therefore, according to the data recording and reproducing system 4shown in the fourth embodiment, the recording and reproducing requestsfor audio and/or video data by a plurality of external apparatuses 2 canbe responded to, and in addition, it becomes possible to transmit andreceive the non-real time audio and/or video data input S50 b inresponse to the request of the high speed transmitting apparatus.

Further, according to the data recording and reproducing system 4 shownin the fourth embodiment, the stock data used by the externalapparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ can be received in advance from the high speedtransmitting apparatus and prepared in the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3, so the efficiency of the editing work isimproved.

Note that the modifications shown in the first embodiment to the thirdembodiment are possible with respect to the components of the datarecording and reproducing system 4 shown in the fourth embodiment aswell.

Fifth Embodiment

Below, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be explained asthe second use of the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3according to the present invention.

There is a demand that a plurality of external apparatuses 2 berespectively connected to the plurality of data recording andreproducing apparatuses 1 shown in the first embodiment and the secondembodiment and that the audio and/or video data be recorded in theplurality of data recording and reproducing apparatuses 1 by theplurality of external apparatuses 2. So as to satisfy such a demand,when the plurality of external apparatuses 2 are respectively connectedto the plurality of data recording and reproducing apparatuses 1, eachof the plurality of external apparatuses 2 will exclusively use the AVdata input/output controlling circuit 10 _(i) of each of the pluralityof data recording and reproducing apparatuses 1.

Accordingly, for example, when a plurality of external apparatuses 2 aresimply connected to two data recording and reproducing apparatuses 1 ₁and 1 ₂ each having n number of AV data input/output controllingcircuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n), the number of the external apparatuses 2 towhich the two data recording and reproducing apparatuses 1 ₁ and 1 ₂ canbe connected becomes n or less.

The data recording and reproducing system 5 shown in the fifthembodiment was made so as to solve such a problem. That is, the datarecording and reproducing system 5 uses the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 (FIG. 7) in place of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 1 (FIG. 2). The object thereof is to enable therecording and reproduction of the audio and/or video data with respectto a plurality of data recording and reproducing apparatuses by theexternal apparatus 2, and in addition, connect as large a number ofexternal apparatuses 2 as possible to the plurality of data recordingand reproducing apparatuses.

FIG. 12 is a view of the configuration of the data recording andreproducing system 6 in the fifth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, the data recording and reproducing system 5 isconstituted by two data recording and reproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3₂ and four external apparatuses 2 ₁ to 2 ₄.

In the data recording and reproducing system 5, the data recording andreproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ have for example six AV datainput/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 _(n) (n=6) and one AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 of the data recordingand reproducing apparatus 3 (FIG. 7, FIG. 8) receives the non-real timeaudio and/or video data S50 b ₁ from the high speed transmittingapparatus and outputs the audio and/or video data S50 c ₁ to the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50 of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 ₂.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 ₆ ofthe data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 ₁ transmits and receivesthe control signal S10 a ₁ with the external unit and then receives thereal time audio and/or video data S10 b ₁.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 ₆ ofthe data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 ₁ respectively transmitand receive the control signals S10 a ₂ to S10 a ₆ with the externalapparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂, receive the audio and/or video data S10 b ₃ andS10 b ₆ from the external apparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂, and output the audioand/or video data S10 c ₂, S10 c ₃, S10 c ₄, and S10 c ₅ to the externalapparatuses 2 ₁ and 2 ₂.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 of the data recordingand reproducing apparatus 3 ₂ receives the non-real time audio and/orvideo data S50 b ₂ from the high speed transmitting apparatus andreceives the audio and/or video data S50 c ₁ from the AV datainput/output controlling circuit 50 of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 ₁.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuits 10 ₁ to 10 ₆ ofthe data recording and reproducing apparatuses 3 ₂ respectively transmitand receive the control signals S10 a ₁ to S10 a ₆ with the externalapparatuses 2 ₃ and 2 ₄, receive the audio and/or video data S10 b ₃ andS10 b ₆ from the external apparatuses 2 ₃ and 2 ₄, and output the audioand/or video data S10 c ₁ and S10 c ₂, S10 c ₄ and S10 c ₅ to theexternal apparatuses 2 ₃ and 2 ₄.

Further, the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 of the datarecording and reproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ respectively receivethe audio and/or video data S50 b ₁ and S50 b ₂ from the high speedtransmitting apparatus shown in the fourth embodiment.

The external apparatuses 2 ₁ to 2 ₄ are for example editing apparatusesperforming the edit processing for the audio and/or video data.

In the data recording and reproducing system 5, the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 ₂ can receive the audio and/or video datarecorded in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 ₁ as theaudio and/or video data S50 c ₁. Accordingly, among the externalapparatuses 2 ₁ to 2 ₄, the external apparatuses 2 ₃ and 2 ₄ connectedto the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 ₂ can regard also theaudio and/or video data recorded in either of the data recording andreproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ as the target of the editing and canrecord the audio and/or video data obtained as a result of editing inthe data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 ₂.

Further, the external apparatuses 2 ₂ to 2 ₄ other than the externalapparatus 2 ₁ respectively can receive two sets of stock data from thedata recording and reproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ and perform theediting.

According to the data recording and reproducing system 5 shown in thefifth embodiment, the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3 ₁ canreceive the real time audio and/or video data S10 b ₁ according to acontrol signal S10 a ₁ from other than the external apparatuses 2 ₁ to 2₄ while responding to the request of four external apparatuses 2 ₁ to 2₄ and further can perform the copying of the audio and/or video datareceived with the data recording and reproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂according to the control signal S10 a ₁. Accordingly, the data recordingand reproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ can supply the audio and/orvideo data S10 b ₁ to each of the external apparatuses 2 ₁ to 2 ₄according to a control signal 10 a ₁ from other than the externalapparatuses 2 ₁ to 2 ₄ as a whole.

Note that, for example, it is possible to respectively input the audioand/or video data S50 b ₁ and S50 b ₂ obtained by multiplexing forexample the audio and/or video data in a time division manner, utilizethe data recording and reproducing apparatuses 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ as if theywere time division exchangers, and increase the flexibility of supply ofthe audio and/or video data with respect to the external apparatuses 2 ₁to 2 ₄.

The modifications shown in the first embodiment to the third embodimentare possible with respect to the components of the data recording andreproducing system 5 shown in the fifth embodiment, for example.

According to the video data recording and reproducing apparatus and theaudio and/or video data recording and reproducing system explainedabove, it is possible to dub audio and/or video data from a VTR or otherexternal unit to a recording and reproducing apparatus in a serversystem in a relatively short time.

Further, according to the audio and/or video recording and reproducingapparatus and an audio and/or video data recording and reproducingsystem explained above, it is possible to the scale and function of theserver system for audio and/or video data in a broadcast system of atelevision broadcasting station corresponding to the size of operationsof the television broadcasting station or the type of the operations towhich the broadcast system in the same television broadcasting station.Accordingly, in the audio and/or video data recording and reproducingapparatus and audio and/or video data recording and reproducing systemaccording to the present invention, the change of the functions andstructure is easy, the expandability is high, and the cost is low.

Further, according to the audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatus and audio and/or video data recording andreproducing system explained above, the audio and/or video data can behandled in slave synchronization with a reference synchronization signaletc. input from an external unit taking into account the fact that in abroadcast system in a television broadcasting station, the audio and/orvideo data is usually sent and transmitted in strict synchronizationwith the reference synchronization signal or the time code and takinginto account the ease of connection to the already existing broadcastequipment.

Further, according to the audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatus and audio and/or video data recording andreproducing system mentioned above, it is possible to eliminate as manyof the parts causing the system delay time in the audio and/or videodata handled and thereby reduce the system delay time and, whenoperating under the control of an external control device, possible toquickly adapt to control from the external control device by having thecontrol commands from the external control device directly supplied tothe portion performing the processing.

Further, according to the audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatus and audio and/or video data recording andreproducing system explained above, it is possible to have the audioand/or video data transferred and exchanged in synchronization with thereference synchronization signal as much as possible in the broadcastsystem and reduce the portions requiring the synchronous/ asynchronousconversion processing.

Further, according to the audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatus and an audio and/or video data recording andreproducing system explained above, it is possible to transfer andexchange base band digital audio and/or video data.

Further, the audio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatusand audio and/or video data recording and reproducing system explainedabove can record and reproduce non-real time audio and/or video data inaddition to the conventional recording and reproduction of the real timevideo audio data, can shorten the transmission time of the audio and/orvideo data, and are preferred for, for example, the editing of newsvideos for which the editing time is limited.

Non-tracking System

To clarify the objects and features of the embodiments explained belowand make them easier to understand, the non-tracking system and itsproblems will be explained.

On a video tape (VTR tape), audio and/or video data is recorded byalternately inverting the azimuth angle of adjoining helical tracks. Ifthe azimuth angle is alternately inverted for every helical track inthis way, even if the helical tracks having different azimuth angles arescanned (traced) by a reproducing head, the audio and/or video datacannot be reproduced.

Further, even in a case where the reproducing head traces the helicaltracks having the same azimuth angle, when the reproducing head and thehelical track are offset from each other, much error occurs in thereproduced audio and/or video data.

A so-called non-tracking type video apparatus (VTR apparatus) positivelyutilizing such a nature regarding the reproducing heads and the azimuthangle of the helical tracks at the time of reproduction of audio and/orvideo data has been proposed.

On the tape travelling surface of the drum of the non-tracking typevideo apparatus, two positive azimuth angle reproducing heads (positiveazimuth heads) are disposed at one helical track's worth of interval,and two negative azimuth angle reproducing heads (negative azimuthheads) are disposed at symmetrical positions with for example thepositive azimuth heads with respect to the center of rotation of thedrum at one helical track's worth of interval.

In the non-tracking type VTR apparatus, the helical tracks are scannedby these four reproducing heads in total to read the audio and/or videodata. The audio and/or video data having a lower error rate read by thereproducing head which correctly traced the helical tracks is selectedfrom among the two sets of audio and/or video data reproduced by thereproducing heads having an azimuth angle coincident with that of thehelical tracks (positive azimuth heads or negative azimuth heads) andoutput. By adopting such a method, the non-tracking type VTR apparatusgreatly eases the condition of the tracking control of the reproducinghead with respect to the helical tracks.

Further, there is a case where a multiple speed reproduction facilityfor reproducing all audio and/or video data with a fast data rate of anyhigher speed such as a whole multiple of the data rate (normal speed) atusual reproduction, for example, 2×, X, . . . , or 2.1× and 4.2× isrequired in a VTR apparatus for a television broadcasting station etc.

In a non-tracking type VTR apparatus, for realizing a multiple speedreproduction facility, consideration can be given to a method in whichthe tape is made to travel at a speed corresponding to the multiplespeed of the multiple speed reproduction and, at the same time, the drumis rotated at a rotational speed corresponding to the multiple speed ofthe multiple speed reproduction.

When this method is adopted, however, the load on the motor for rotatingthe drum becomes large and in addition a high precision is required inthe VTR apparatus in view of the mechanism such as the contact precisionbetween the tape travelling surface of the drum and the VTR tape, whichmakes realization difficult.

Further, when this method is adopted, the frequency of the audio and/orvideo data (recording signal) read from the VTR tape becomes high, andthe operation frequency of the equalizing processing circuit of therecording signal becomes high. Further, also the processing such aserror correction with respect to the audio and/or video data reproducedfrom the recording signal becomes high in speed. Realization isdifficult also from the viewpoint of the hardware and software.

The VTR apparatuses shown as embodiments below overcome thesedisadvantages and enable multiple speed reproduction by the non-trackingsystem while using mechanical parts having a precision equivalent tothat of a VTR apparatus performing normal speed reproduction.

Further, the VTR apparatuses shown as embodiments below enable multiplespeed reproduction by the non-tracking system without use of specialhigh speed operating parts in an equalizing processing circuit or anerror correction processing circuit etc.

Further, the VTR apparatuses shown as embodiments below which enhancethe performances of other special reproduction processing facilities,for example, the jog shuttle reproduction facility, by actively usingthe components used for realizing the multiple speed reproduction.

Sixth Embodiment

The sixth embodiment of the present invention will be explained belowtaking as an example a case where the external unit 2 connected to theAV data input/output control circuit 50 of the data recording andreproducing apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 7 is a video tape recorder (VTR)apparatus for recording audio and/or video tape on a magnetic tape andreproducing audio and/or video data from the magnetic tape.

FIG. 13 is a view of the configuration of a digital video apparatus (VTRapparatus) 1 according to the sixth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 13, a VTR apparatus 601 is constituted by a recordingunit 610, a reproduction unit 620, and a tape travelling unit 616.

The recording unit 610 is constituted by a video data compressingcircuit (Bit-Rate Reduction ENCODE) 700, a data packing circuit 702, anouter code encoder circuit (ECC OUTER ENCODER) 704, a memory circuit706, an inner code encoder circuit (ECC INNER ENCODER) 708, and arecording head unit 612.

The reproduction unit 620 is constituted by a reproducing head unit 622,an equalizing unit 624, an inner code correcting unit (ECC INNERCORRECTION) 626, a non-tracking processing unit 28, a memory unit 30, anouter code correcting unit (ECC OUTER CORRECTION) 632, a data depackingunit 634, a jog memory unit 636, a data decimation circuit (RATEdecimation) 638, and a video data expanding circuit (Bit-Rate ReductionDECODE) 640.

The tape travelling unit 616 includes components for running the VTRtape 614 such as a drum motor, capstan motor, and a driving circuit forthese motors, makes the VTR tape 614 travel, and makes two reproducingheads of the reproducing head unit 622 scan the helical tracks of theVTR tape 614 (FIG. 16B). Note that, the tape travelling unit 616 makesthe VTR tape 614 travel at the same speed as that at the normal speedreproduction even in a case where the reproduction unit 620 of the VTRapparatus 601 performs multiple speed reproduction such as 2×speedreproduction.

Further, the drum 820 of the recording head unit 612 and the drum 820 ofthe reproducing head unit 622 are actually the same.

The VTR apparatus 601 compresses and codes the video data VIN and audiodata AIN input from an external unit by these components according to acompression and coding system, for example, the MPEG system, generatesthe recorded data, and records the same on a video tape (VTR tape) 514.Further, the VTR apparatus 601 reproduces the recorded data recorded onthe VTR tape 614 by the non-tracking system, expands and decodes thesame, and outputs the resultant data as the video data VOUT and theaudio data AOUT.

Below, each component of the recording unit 610 (FIG. 13) will beexplained.

The video data compressing circuit 700 compresses and codes thenoncompressed video data VIN input from the editing apparatus or thelike connected to an external unit by the MPEG system so that forexample two frames constitute one GOP (GROUP OF PICTURE) and outputs thecompressed and coded data as the compressed video data of the data rateNbps to the data packing circuit 702.

FIG. 14 is a view of the configuration of a synchronization block of theaudio and/or video data to be recorded on the VTR tape 614 shown in FIG.13, in which FIG. 14A shows the structure of the synchronization blockafter adding synchronization data SYNC, identification data ID, outercode (OUTER PARITY), and inner code (INNER PARITY) to the audio and/orvideo data (VIDEO/AUDIO DATA) assembled by the data packing circuit 702shown in FIG. 13; and FIG. 14B shows the data structure of thesynchronization block shown in FIG. 14A in the lateral direction (line:SYNC block).

The data packing circuit 702 (FIG. 13) assembles the compressed videodata of the data rate Nbps input from the video data compressing circuit700 and the noncompressed audio data AOUT input from the external unitin units of GOPs, generates the audio and/or video data (VIDEO/AUDIODATA) in the synchronization block shown in FIG. 14A, and outputs thesame to the ECC outer encoder 704.

The ECC outer encoder 704 stores the input audio and/or video data in amemory circuit 706, generates the outer code shown in FIG. 14A withrespect to the audio and/or video data, adds this to the audio and/orvideo data, and outputs the resultant data to the ECC inner encoder 708.

The ECC inner encoder 708 interleaves the audio and/or video data addedwith the outer code in units of GOPs so that the inner code and outercode (the inner code and the outer code shown in FIG. 14A will begenerally referred to as a product code together) exhibits the highesterror correction capability, generates the inner code shown in FIGS. 14Aand 14B, and adds the same.

Further, the ECC inner encoder 708 generates the synchronization dataSYNC of 2 bytes and the identification data ID of 4 bytes (FIGS. 14A and14B), generates the recorded data of the synchronization block having astructure shown in FIG. 14A, and outputs the same to the recording headunit 612.

FIG. 15 is a view showing the data structure of the identification dataID shown in FIG. 14B, in which FIG. 15A corresponds to FIG. 14B andshows the data structure of each line (SYNC block) of the recordingformat; and FIG. 15B shows the structure of the identification data IDshown in FIG. 15A.

As shown in FIG. 15B, the synchronization block ID (Sync Block ID)indicating the order in the helical track (FIG. 14B) in which the line(SYNC block) is recorded is placed in the first byte (ID0) of theidentification data ID.

The audio and/or video data ID (VIDEO/AUDIO DATA) enters into the mostsignificant bit (MSB) of the second byte (ID1) of the identificationdata ID, and the track ID is placed in the third bit to the leastsignificant bit (LSB).

The audio and/or video data ID indicates whether the data which has beenplaced in the data region of that line (SYNC block) (DATA: audio and/orvideo data (VIDEO/AUDIO DATA) or outer code (OUTER PARITY) shown in FIG.14A) is the audio data or video data, and the track ID indicates theorder of the helical track (FIG. 16B) in which that line (SYNC block) isrecorded for every GOP.

A historical ID and audio and/or video data ID (VIDEO/AUDIO ID) areplaced in the first bit and the least significant bit of the third byte(ID2) and the fourth byte (ID3) of the identification data ID, and acyclic ID is placed in the fourth bit to second bit of the fourth byte.

The historical ID indicates the history of the processing such asediting applied to the recorded data.

The cyclic ID is incremented in units of GOPs and indicates the order ofthe audio and/or video data for every eight GOPs.

The recording head unit 612 has two recording heads, modulates therecording data generated by the ECC inner encoder 108, and generates therecording signal, and records the same on the VTR tape 14 at a data rateof J (=R×(L+N), where R is redundancy by addition of the product codeand synchronization data SYNC, etc.) per recording head.

FIGS. 16A to 16C is a view showing the recording format when recordingdata (recording signal: FIG. 14A) on the VTR tape 14 (FIG. 13).

As shown in FIG. 16A, the recording data is recorded over a plurality ofhelical tracks in units of GOPs. As shown in FIGS. 16B and 16C, aplurality of lines (SYNC blocks) are recorded in each helical track.

Below, the structure of the reproduction unit 620 (FIG. 13) will beexplained.

The equalizing unit 624 performs the equalization processing for therecording signal read by each of the two sets of reproducing heads (oneset of reproducing heads has two positive azimuth heads and negativeazimuth heads) of the reproducing head unit 622, reproduces the recordeddata (FIG. 14A), and outputs the same to the inner code correcting unit626.

Here, only the reproducing heads having the azimuth angle coincidentwith that of the VTR tape 614 and correctly tracing the helical tracksof the VTR tape 614 (FIG. 16B) among the eight reproducing heads (fourpositive azimuth heads and four negative azimuth heads) in total of thereproducing head unit 622 can correctly read the recording signal.

Further, the data rate of the recorded data reproduced by the equalizingunit 624 becomes 8 Jbps as a whole where 4×speed reproduction is carriedout.

The inner code correcting unit 626 performs the error detection anderror correction processing using the inner code (FIG. 14A) with respectto the recorded data input from the equalizing unit 624 and outputs theresultant data to the non-tracking processing unit 628.

Here, the data rate when the recording head unit 612 writes the recordeddata on the VTR tape 614 is Jbps as mentioned above. When it is intendedto reproduce this recorded data at 4× speed, the data rate of therecorded data to be read by the reproducing head unit 622 becomes 8Jbps.

The non-tracking processing unit 628 selects the data having thesmallest error from among the sets of the recorded data input from theinner code correcting unit 626 and stores the same in the memory unit630 in units of lines (SYNC blocks).

The non-tracking processing unit 628 arranges the recorded data storedin the memory unit 630 in the arrangement suited to the processing ofthe outer code correcting unit 632 (performs the deinterleave processingcorresponding to the interleave processing in the ECC inner encoder 708(FIG. 13)) and outputs the resultant data to the outer code correctingunit 632.

The outer code correcting unit 632 performs the error correction withrespect to the recorded data by using the outer code (FIG. 14A)contained in the recorded data input from the non-tracking processingunit 628 and outputs the corrected data to the data depacking unit 634.

The data depacking unit 634 demultiplexes the audio and/or video dataand identification data ID etc. (FIG. 14B) from the input recorded dataand outputs the same to the external unit and the data decimationcircuit 638.

The data decimation circuit 638 decimates the video data and audio datafrom the audio and/or video data input from the data depacking unit 634,outputs the audio data AOUT to the external unit, and outputs the videodata to the video data expanding circuit 640. The data decimationcircuit 638 is used for taking out one frame's worth of data for everyfour frames worth of data where for example the VTR apparatus 601performs 4×speed reproduction and generating audio and/or video data ofthe same data rate as that in the normal speed reproduction suitable forbeing displayed on for example a monitor.

The video data expanding circuit 640 expands and decodes the video datainput from the data decimation circuit 638 by an expanding and decodingsystem corresponding to the compressing and coding system of the videodata compressing circuit 700 and outputs the expanded and decoded datato the external unit as the video data VOUT.

The controller 600 outputs a recording speed request signal to the AVdata input/output controlling circuit 50 shown in FIG. 7 as the controlsignal S50 a. The controller 600 uses this recording speed requestsignal to notify the data rate of the non-real time audio and/or videodata to be recorded in the data recording and reproducing apparatus 3.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 outputs a recordingspeed authorization signal notifying that recording at the notified datarate is possible to the controller 600 as the control signal S50 a.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the recordingspeed authorization signal outputs a recording request signal to therecording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 via the control bus20.

The recording and reproduction controlling circuit 34 receiving therecording request signal searches for the empty recording regions of thestorage device 26 and outputs a region assignment signal indicating therecording regions assigned to the audio and/or video data for which therecording was requested to the AV data input/output controlling circuit50 and the storage device 26.

The AV data Input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the regionassignment signal outputs the recording authorization signal to thecontroller 600 as the control signals S50 a.

The controller 600 receiving the recording authorization signal outputsthe recording command signal to the AV data input/output controllingcircuit 50 as the control signal S50 a. The AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 outputs the received recording command signal tothe storage device 26 via the control bus 20.

Further, the controller 600 designates the reproduction speed authorizedby the recording speed authorization signal to the processing circuitsof the reproduction unit 620 of the VTR apparatus 601 through thecontrol signal S100.

By this, the audio and/or video data reproduced at the designatedreproduction speed is output from the data packing unit 634 and theaudio and/or video data is supplied to the AV data input/outputcontrolling circuit 50.

The audio and/or video data S50 b supplied to the AV data Input/outputcontrolling circuit 50 is output through the data bus 22 to the storagedevice 26. The storage device 26 records this audio and/or video dataS50 b.

When the audio and/or video data is recorded in all of the recordingregions assigned by the recording and reproduction controlling circuit34, the storage device 26 outputs the recording completion notificationsignal to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 via thecontrol bus 20.

The AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 receiving the recordingcompletion notification signal outputs the recording completionnotification signal to the controller 600.

Note that first, instead of the controller 600 outputting the recordingspeed request signal to the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50shown in FIG. 7 as the control signal S50 a, it is also possible to havethe control signal S50 a for designating the recording speed to besupplied from the AV data input/output controlling circuit 50 side tothe controller 600 and for the controller to control the processingcircuits of the VTR apparatus 601 so as to reproduce the audio and/orvideo data at that speed.

Below, the recording operation of the VTR apparatus 601 will beexplained.

In the recording unit 610, the video data compressing circuit 700compresses and codes the video data VIN by the MPEG system so that forexample 2 frames constitute one GOP.

The data packing circuit 702 assembles the compressed video data inputfrom the video data compressing circuit 700 and the noncompressed audiodata AOUT input from the external unit in units of GOPs and generatesthe audio and/or video data (FIG. 14A).

The ECC outer encoder 704 stores the input audio and/or video data inthe memory circuit 706, generates the outer code (FIG. 14A) with respectto the recorded audio and/or video data, and adds the same.

The ECC inner encoder 708 generates the recorded data assembled to thesynchronization block (FIG. 16A) by interleaving the audio and/or videodata added with the outer code, generating the inner code (FIGS. 14A and14B), and adding the same and further adding the synchronization dataSYNC and the identification data ID (FIGS. 14A and 14B).

The recording head unit 612 modulates the recording data, generates therecording signal, and records the same on the VTR tape 614.

Below, the reproducing operation of the VTR apparatus 601 will beexplained.

The equalizing unit 624 performs the equalization processing for therecording signal read from the VTR tape 614 by two sets of reproducingheads of the reproducing head unit 622 and reproduces the recorded data(FIG. 14A).

The inner code correcting unit 626 performs the error detection anderror correction processing using the inner code (FIG. 14A) with respectto the reproduced recorded data and outputs the same to the non-trackingprocessing unit 628.

The non-tracking processing unit 628 selects the data having thesmallest error from among the recorded data subjected to the errordetection and error correction, stores the same in the memory unit 630in the unit of lines, and further performs the deinterleave processing.

The outer code correcting unit 632 performs the error correction withrespect to the recorded data by using the outer code (FIG. 14A)contained in the recorded data input from the non-tracking processingunit 628.

The data depacking unit 634 demultiplexes the audio and/or video data,the identification data ID, etc. (FIG. 14B) from the error-correctedrecorded data.

The data decimation circuit 638 decimates the audio and/or video data togenerate the audio and/or video data suitable for display on themonitor.

The video data expanding circuit 640 expands and decodes the video datainput from the data decimation circuit 638 and outputs the same as thevideo data VOUT to the external unit.

As mentioned above, according to the VTR apparatus 601 of the presentinvention, the recorded data (audio and/or video data) recorded on theVTR tape 614 can be reproduced by the non-tracking system.

When the audio and/or video data is reproduced by the non-trackingsystem, the conditions regarding the tracking servo control are eased,therefore, other than the multiple speed reproduction of whole multiplessuch as 2×, 4×, . . . , multiple speed reproduction of any multiplespeed, for example, 2.1×, is possible.

Note that, in the sixth embodiment, the explanation was made of a casewhere the azimuth angle has two values-positive and negative-, but it isalso possible to perform the reproduction of the audio and/or video databy further increasing for example the number of azimuth angles andproviding the reproducing heads individually corresponding to theseazimuth angles in the recording head unit 612 and the reproducing headunit 622.

Further, the positional relationship between the positive azimuth headsand the negative azimuth heads of the reproducing head unit 622 need notalways be symmetrical with respect to the center of rotation of the drum820.

Seventh Embodiment

In the reproduction unit 620 of the VTR apparatus 601 (FIG. 13) shown inthe sixth embodiment, the multiple speed of the multiple speedreproduction is limited by the operational speed of the components ofthe reproduction unit 620. Where for example the operational speed ofthe components of the reproduction unit 620 is enough to deal with onlyprocessing for 2×speed reproduction at most, the reproduction unit 620cannot perform the high speed reproduction of a multiple speed higherthan 2×.

The reproduction unit 650 shown in the second embodiment is used in theVTR apparatus 601 in place of the reproduction unit 620 and is designedto perform high speed reproduction up to n×speed reproduction whilekeeping the rotational speed of the drum 820 the same as that at thenormal speed reproduction.

FIG. 17 is a view of the configuration of the reproduction unit 650according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 17, in the seventh embodiment, four equalizing circuits840, 842, 844, and 846 correspond to the equalizing unit 624 (FIG. 13).Note that, each of the equalizing circuits 840, 842, 844, and 846 hastwo circuits for two sets of positive azimuth heads and negative azimuthheads of the reproducing head unit 652 (they will be mentioned laterreferring to FIG. 18), so the equalizing unit 624 adopts an eightcircuit structure as a whole. Note that, the positive azimuth heads andthe negative azimuth heads of the reproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and830 will be also referred to collectively as, simply, “reproducingheads”.

Note that, the number of the reproducing heads of the reproducing headunit 652 is 16 in total, but the positive azimuth heads and the negativeazimuth heads are disposed at symmetrical positions with respect to thecenter of rotation of the drum 820 (offset by 180 degrees). In addition,the VTR tape 614 is wound around the drum 820 by only the amount of asemicircle, therefore, eight circuits are alternately used whenever thedrum 820 rotates by a half circle and are brought into correspondencewith 16 reproducing heads, so an increase of the circuit size issuppressed.

The inner code correcting circuit 860 corresponding to each of theequalizing circuits 840 and 842, the inner code correcting circuit 862corresponding to the equalizing circuits 844 and 846, the buffering anddistributing circuit (Time-sharing Buffer, Data distribute: BD circuit)864, and the FIFO circuits (D1, D2) 866 and 868 correspond to the innercode correcting unit 626 (FIG. 13).

The non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 individuallycorresponding to the FIFO circuits 866 and 868 correspond to thenon-tracking processing unit 628 (FIG. 13).

The memory circuits 900 and 902 respectively corresponding to the FIFOcircuits 866 and 868 correspond to the memory unit 630 (FIG. 13).

The outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922 respectivelycorresponding to the non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882correspond to the outer code correcting unit 632 (FIG. 13).

The data depacking circuits 940 and 942 respectively corresponding tothe outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922, the FIFO circuits (Q1,Q2) 944 and 946, and the data recombining circuit (DR) 948 correspond tothe data depacking unit 634 (FIG. 13).

The jog memory circuits 960 and 962 respectively corresponding to thedata depacking circuits 940 and 942 correspond to the jog memory unit636 (FIG. 13).

Note that, as indicated by surrounding dotted lines in FIG. 17, thenon-tracking processing circuit 880, the memory circuit 900, the outercode correcting circuit 920, the data depacking circuit 940, and the jogmemory circuit 960 constitute the first signal processing unit 642, andthe non-tracking processing circuit 882, the memory circuit 902, theouter code correcting circuit 922, the data depacking circuit 942, andthe jog memory circuit 962 constitute the seventh signal processing unit644. The signal processing systems 642 and 644 are constituted so as toprocess the recorded data in parallel.

Further, the controller 600 controls the reproduction speed of the audioand/or video data in the reproduction unit 650. The control operation ofthe controller 600 is substantially the same as the operation explainedwith reference to FIG. 13, so an explanation is omitted.

FIG. 18 is a view exemplifying the structure of the reproducing headunit 652 shown in FIG. 17 for a case where the number of the reproducingheads is n (n=4).

In the reproducing head unit 652 (FIG. 17) for the non-tracking system,as shown in FIG. 18, on the tape travelling surface of the drum 820, n(n≧4) number of reproducing heads 824, 826, 828 and 830 aredisposed—each having two positive azimuth angle reproducing heads(positive azimuth heads) a₁₁, a₁₂,(A₁), a₂₁, a₂₂ (A₂), a₃₁, a₃₂ (A₃) anda₄₁, a₄₂ (A₄) at one helical track's worth of interval of the VTR tape614 and two negative azimuth angle reproducing heads (negative azimuthheads) b₁₁, b₁₂ (B₁), b₂₁, b₂₂ (B₂), b₃₁, b₃₂ (B₃) and b₄₁, b₄₂ (B₄) atsymmetrical positions with the positive azimuth angle reproducing headsA₁ to A₄ with respect to the center of rotation of for example the drum820 at one helical track's worth of interval.

In the non-tracking system, by selecting the audio and/or video datahaving a lower error rate read by the reproducing head with an azimuthangle coincident with that of the helical tracks of the scanned (traced)VTR tape 614 and in addition correctly tracing the helical tracks fromamong the 16 sets of audio and/or video data in total read from the VTRtape 614 by the four reproducing heads of these reproducing heads 824,826, 828 and 830 and outputting the same, the tracking control of thereproducing head with respect to the helical tracks is madesubstantially unnecessary.

Below, the configuration of the reproduction unit 650 (FIG. 17) in theseventh embodiment will be explained.

The equalizing circuits 840, 842, 844, and 846 (equalizing unit 624)perform the equalization processing for the recording signals read bythe positive azimuth heads A₁ to A₄ and negative azimuth heads B₁ to B₄(FIG. 6) of the reproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and 830, reproduce therecorded data (FIG. 14A), and output the same to the inner codecorrecting unit 626.

Here, as mentioned above, only the reproducing head with the azimuthangle coincident with that of the VTR tape 614 and in addition correctlytracing the helical tracks (FIG. 16B) of the VTR tape 614 among thepositive azimuth heads A₁ to A₄ and the negative azimuth heads B₁ to B₄of the drum 820 can correctly read the recording signal.

The inner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 (inner code correctingunit 626) have performances sufficient so that error correctionprocessing using the Inner code is possible with respect to recordeddata solely reproduced at least 2×speed, that is, recorded data of adata rate of two times the data rate at the normal speed reproduction,process the recorded data input from the reproducing heads 824 and 826and the reproducing heads 828 and 830 in an 8-bit parallel manner,perform the error detection and error correction processing using theinner code (FIG. 14A) with respect to the recorded data, and output theresultant data to the BD circuit 864.

The BD circuit 864 buffers the recorded data input from the inner codecorrecting circuit 860 and 62, changes the routing in accordance withthe processing, and outputs the resultant data to the FIFO circuits 866and 868.

Further, the BD circuit 864 controls the buffering operation of the FIFOcircuits 866 and 868 via the control signals a₂ and b₂.

The FIFO circuits 866 and 868 buffer the recorded data input from the BDcircuit 864 under the control of the BD circuit 864 and outputs the sameto the non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882, respectively.

The non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 (non-trackingprocessing unit 628) select the data having the smallest error fromamong the recorded data input from the inner code correcting circuits860 and 862 and store the same in the memory circuits 900 and 902 inunits of lines (SYNC blocks), respectively.

The non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 further arrange therecorded data stored in the memory circuits 900 and 902 to anarrangement suited to the processing of the outer code correctingcircuits 920 and 922 (perform the deinterleave processing correspondingto the interleave processing in the ECC inner encoder 708 (FIG. 13)) andoutput the resultant data to the outer code correcting circuits 920 and922, respectively.

The outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922 perform the errordetection and error correction with respect to the recorded data byusing the outer code (FIG. 14A) contained in the recorded data inputfrom the non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882, and output theresultant data to the data depacking circuits 940 and 942, respectively.

The data depacking circuits 940 and 942 demultiplex the audio and/orvideo data, the identification data ID, etc. (FIG. 14B) from the inputrecorded data, output the identification data to the data recombiningcircuit 948, and output the audio and/or video data to the FIFO circuits944 and 946, respectively (depacking processing).

The FIFO circuits 944 and 946 respectively buffer the audio and/or videodata input from the data depacking circuits 940 and 942 and output thebuffered data to the data recombining circuit 948.

The data recombining circuit 948 returns the order of the audio and/orvideo data input from the FIFO circuits 944 and 946 to the originalorder (order at the time of the recording) by using the cyclic ID of theidentification data ID input from the data depacking circuits 940 and942 and outputs the same to the data decimation circuit 638 (datarecombining processing).

The structure and operation of the data decimation circuit 638 and thevideo data expanding circuit 640 are as explained in the sixthembodiment.

Below, the operation of the reproduction unit 650 will be explained.

Operation at 4×Speed Reproduction

First, an explanation will be made of the operation where thereproduction unit 650 reproduces the recorded data (recording signals)recorded on the VTR tape 614 by the recording unit 610 of the VTRapparatus 601 (FIG. 13) at 4×speed.

FIG. 19 is a timing chart showing the operation timing of the componentsof the reproduction unit 650 shown in FIG. 17, in which FIG. 19A showsthe recording signals reproduced from the VTR tape 614 (FIG. 13) inunits of GOPs; FIG. 19B shows an NT pulse signal indicating the boundaryof the GOPs of the recording signals shown in FIG. 19A; FIG. 19C showsthe timing at which the BD circuit 864 resets the FIFO circuit 866; FIG.19D shows a WRA signal (control signal a₂) defining the timing forwriting the recorded data in the FIFO circuit 866 by the BD circuit 864;FIG. 19E shows the timing at which the non-tracking processing circuit880 reads the recorded data from the FIFO circuit 866; FIG. 19F showsthe timing at which the BD circuit 864 resets the FIFO circuit 868; FIG.19G shows a WRB signal (control signal b₂) indicating the timing fordefining the timing at which the BD circuit 864 writes the recorded datain the FIFO circuit 868; FIG. 19H shows the timing at which thenon-tracking processing circuit 882 reads the recorded data from theFIFO circuit 868; FIG. 19I shows the recorded data output from thenon-tracking processing circuit 880; FIG. 19J shows the timing at whichthe recorded data is output from the non-tracking processing circuit880; FIG. 19K shows the recorded data output from the non-trackingprocessing circuit 882; FIG. 19L shows the timing at which the recordeddata is output from the non-tracking processing circuit 882; FIG. 19Mshows the synchronization signal defining the timing at which the outercode correcting circuits 920 and 922 output the recorded data; FIG. 19Nshows the recorded data output from the outer code correcting circuit920; FIG. 19O shows the recorded data output from the outer codecorrecting circuit 922; and FIG. 19P shows the audio and/or video dataoutput by the data recombining circuit 948. Note that the asterisksgiven in FIGS. 19B to 19H and FIGS. 19J and FIG. 19L indicate thecorresponding signals have a negative logic.

The tape travelling unit 616 makes the VTR tape 614 travel at a speedfour times the speed at the normal speed reproduction. The drum 820rotates at the same rotational speed as that at the normal speedreproduction to make the four sets of, i.e., eight, positive azimuthheads and four sets of, i.e., eight, negative azimuth heads of thereproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and 830 of the reproducing head unit652 trace the helical tracks of the VTR tape 614 (FIG. 16B).

As shown in FIG. 19A, in the positive azimuth heads and negative azimuthheads (FIG. 18) of the reproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and 830, thedata rate of the recording signals (recorded data) read from the VTRtape 614 becomes gradually high for a while from the start of thetravelling and the start of rotation of the drum 820 and becomesconstant after the speed of each reaches the target speed.

The quantizing circuits 840, 842, 844, and 846 perform the equalizationprocessing for the read recording signals and reproduce the recordeddata.

The inner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 generate the NT pulsesignals (FIG. 19B) indicating the boundary of GOPs of the recorded databased on the reproduced recorded data. The components after the innercode correcting circuits 860 and 862 perform the processing insynchronization with this NT pulse signal.

Further, the inner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 perform theerror detection processing and error correction processing using theinner code with respect to the reproduced recorded data.

The BD circuit 864 buffers the recorded data subjected to the errordetection. Where the number of cyclic ID contained in the recorded data(FIG. 15B) is an even number, it writes the recorded data in the FIFOcircuit 866 at a timing shown in FIG. 19D, and where it is an oddnumber, as shown in FIG. 19C, it resets the FIFO circuit 866 at therising point of the NT pulse.

Further, the BD circuit 864 buffers the error-detected recorded data.Where the number of cyclic ID contained in the recorded data is an oddnumber, it writes the recorded data in the FIFO circuit 868 at a timingshown in FIG. 19G, and where it is an even number, as shown in FIG. 19F,it resets the FIFO circuit 868 at the rising point of the NT pulse.

That is, the BD circuit 864 alternately buffers the recorded data in theFIFO circuits 866 and 868 in accordance with whether the number ofcyclic ID contained in the recorded data is the odd number or the evennumber.

Note that, in the BD circuit 864, there is a possibility that therecorded data of 4 Jbps will be continuously output to either one ofFIFO circuits 866 and 868 from either of the output terminals a₁ and b₁,therefore the data rate becomes 8 Jbps at the maximum.

The non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 respectivelyalternately read and buffer the recorded data from the FIFO circuits 866and 868 at the timings shown in FIGS. 19E and 19H and select therecorded data having a low error rate. The recorded data is alternatelyread from the FIFO circuits 866 and 868, therefore the data rate of therecorded data read from the FIFO circuits 866 and 868 to thenon-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 becomes 4 Jbps.

The non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 select the data havingthe smallest error from among the recorded data respectively input fromthe inner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 of the inner codecorrecting unit 626, store the same in the memory circuits 900 and 902(perform the non-tracking processing) in units of lines (SYNC blocks),and further perform the deinterleave processing and output thedeinterleaved recorded data to the outer code correcting circuits 920and 922 at the timings shown in FIGS. 19J and 19L (FIGS. 19I and 19K),respectively.

The non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 select and output twoamong the four sets of input recorded data, therefore the data ratebetween the non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 and the outercode correcting circuits 920 and 922 becomes 2 Jbps.

The outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922 perform the errorcorrection processing using the outer code (FIG. 14A) with respect tothe deinterleaved recorded data. The redundant part of the recorded datais removed by the outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922, so thedata rate between the outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922 and thedata depacking circuits 940 and 942 becomes 2×(N+L) bps.

The data depacking circuits 940 and 942 demultiplex the audio and/orvideo data from the recorded data, output the identification data (OddID, Even ID) to the data recombining circuit 948, and output the audioand/or video data to the FIFO circuits 944 and 946.

Further, if necessary, the data depacking circuits 940 and 942 performsalso the jog shuttle reproduction processing etc. by using the jogmemory circuits 960 and 962.

The FIFO circuits 944 and 946 respectively buffer the audio and/or videodata input from the data depacking circuits 940 and 942 and output thesame to the data recombining circuit 948 in synchronization with thesynchronization signal shown in FIG. 19M (FIGS. 19N and 19O).

The data recombining circuit 948 returns the order of the audio and/orvideo data to the order at the time of the recording by using the cyclicID of the input identification data ID and outputs the resultant data tothe external unit and the data decimation circuit 638 with a data ratefour times the data rate at the normal speed reproduction (FIG. 19P).

The data decimation circuit 638 decimates the input audio and/or videodata in a proportion in accordance with the multiple speed of themultiple speed reproduction, outputs the audio data AOUT to the externalunit, and outputs the video data to the video data expanding circuit640.

Note that, in the case of the 4×speed reproduction, the data decimationcircuit 638 decimates ¾ of the input audio and/or video data andgenerates the audio and/or video data having the same data rate as thedata rate at the normal speed reproduction.

The video data expanding circuit 640 expands and decodes the video data,generates the video data VOUT, and outputs the same to the externalunit.

An explanation will be further made of the operation speed where 4×speedreproduction is carried out in the reproduction unit 650 constitutingcomponents in parallel.

FIG. 20 is a view showing a relationship between an overhead regardingthe non-tracking processing and a bus band width, in which FIG. 20Ashows the relationship between the overhead regarding the non-trackingprocessing in the bus band width between the non-tracking processingunit 628 and the memory unit 630 in the reproduction unit 620 shown inFIG. 13 and the bus band width usable for reading the recorded data fromthe memory unit 630 to the outer code correcting unit 632; and FIG. 20Bshows the relationship between the overhead regarding the non-trackingprocessing in the bus band width between the non-tracking processingcircuits 880 and 882 and the memory circuits 900 and 902 of thereproduction unit 650 shown in FIG. 17 and the bus band width usable forreading the recorded data from the memory circuits 900 and 902 to theouter code correcting circuits 920 and 922.

The data rate when the recording head unit 612 writes the recorded dataon the VTR tape 614 is Jbps as mentioned above. When it is intended toreproduce this recorded data at 4×speed, the data rate of the recordeddata to be read by the reproducing head unit 652 becomes 8 Jbps.

On the other hand, the circuit performing the error detection and errorcorrection by the inner code is divided into two systems of the innercode correcting circuits 860 and 862. Further, the inner code correctingcircuits 860 and 862 perform the 8-bit parallel processing. Thereforethe operation frequency of the inner code correcting circuits 860 and862 becomes 4×J/8 Hz.

For example, where J is 50 (50 Mbps), the operation frequency of theinner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 becomes 4×J/8=25 MHz, and theoperation frequency becomes low in comparison with the operationfrequency (50 MHz) where the structure of the reproduction unit 620shown in the sixth embodiment (FIG. 13) is adopted. Accordingly, whenthe structure (FIG. 17) shown in the seventh embodiment is adopted, theinner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 and other components can beconstituted by using for example a usual CMOS logical element, so it isseen that the use of special high speed operating parts is unnecessary.

Further, the operation frequency of the non-tracking processing circuits880 and 882 becomes 25 MHz under the above conditions. Further, thetransfer frequency of the recorded data between the non-trackingprocessing circuits 880 and 882 and the memory circuits 900 and 902 iskept low, i.e. 12.5 MHz (at the time of 8-bit parallel operation).

When the bus band width of the data bus between the non-trackingprocessing circuits 880 and 882 and the memory circuits 900 and 902 isset to for example about 75 MHz (75 MBps), which is just a generalvalue, the bus band width usable for reading the recorded data from thememory circuits 900 and 902 to the outer code correcting circuits 920and 922, by subtracting the bus band width 25 MHz required for writingof the recorded data into the memory circuits 900 and 902, becomes 50MHz.

Further, as mentioned above, the overhead regarding the non-trackingprocessing of the bus band width between the non-tracking processingcircuits 880 and 882 and the memory circuits 900 and 902 is 12.5 MHz,and it is seen that the data transfer (OUTER READ) from the memorycircuits 900 and 902 to the outer code correcting circuits 920 and 922can be performed in a very short time (FIG. 20B).

On the other hand, where the configuration of the reproduction unit 620(FIG. 13) is adopted, the overhead regarding the non-tracking processingof the bus band width between the non-tracking processing unit 628 andthe memory unit 30 is 25 MHz, and a long time is taken for the datatransfer (OUTER READ) from the memory unit 630 to the outer codecorrecting unit 32 (FIG. 20A).

FIG. 21 is a view showing the relationship between the overheadregarding the non-tracking processing, the processing capabilityrequired for the components for performing the non-tracking processing,and the bus band width, in which FIG. 21A shows the relationship betweenthe overhead regarding the non-tracking processing in the bus band widthbetween the non-tracking processing unit 628 and the memory unit 630 inthe reproduction unit 620 shown in FIG. 13 and the processing capabilityrequired for the non-tracking processing unit 628; and 21B shows therelationship between the overhead regarding the non-tracking processingin the bus band width between the non-tracking processing circuits 880and 882 and the memory circuits 900 and 902 in the reproduction unit 650shown in FIG. 17 and the processing capability required for thenon-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882.

In the reproduction unit 650, ¼ (=12.5 MHz/50 MHz) of the time T (GOPtime) required for the processing of one GOP worth of the recorded datais sufficient as the time for transferring one GOP worth of data fromthe memory circuits 900 and 902 to the outer code correcting circuits920 and 922, therefore a relatively small processing capability A of thenon-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 is sufficient (FIG. 21B).

On the other hand, in the reproduction unit 620 (FIG. 13), the time fortransferring one GOP worth of data from the memory unit 630 to the outercode correcting unit 632 must be ½ of the time T (GOP time) required forthe processing of one GOP worth of the recorded data, therefore it isseen that a high processing capability A is required for thenon-tracking processing unit 628 (FIG. 21B).

Accordingly, where the non-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882 areconstituted by the same parts, a processing operation with more leewayin comparison with the non-tracking processing unit 628 becomespossible, and where the same processing performances are required, theuse of general parts having a slower operation speed than that of thenon-tracking processing unit 628 becomes possible.

The easing of the operational conditions in the non-tracking processingcircuits 880 and 882 by adopting the configuration of the reproductionunit 650. is true also for the other components such as the datadepacking circuits 940 and 942.

Operation at Normal Speed Reproduction

Below, an explanation will be made of the operation where thereproduction unit 650 reproduces the recorded data (recording signals)recorded on the VTR tape 614 by the recording unit 610 of the VTRapparatus 601 (FIG. 13) at normal speed.

FIG. 22 is a view of the configuration where the reproduction unit 650shown in FIG. 13 reproduces the recorded data at normal speed.

As shown in FIG. 22, where the reproduction unit 650 reproduces therecorded data at normal speed (usual reproduction speed), for example,the BD circuit 864 performs the routing so that also the recorded datainput from either of the inner code correcting circuits 860 and 862 areoutput to the FIFO circuits 866 and 868, only the signal processingsystem 642 and FIFO circuit 944 operate, and the signal processingsystem 644 and the FIFO circuit 946 do not perform the processing.

Where the reproduction is carried out at normal speed, only therecording signal read by for example the reproducing head 824 among thereproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and 830 of the reproducing head unit652 (FIG. 18) is used.

The tape travelling unit 616 makes the VTR tape 614 travel at the speedat the time of normal speed reproduction, while the drum 820 rotates atthe rotational speed at the time of normal speed reproduction.

The equalizing circuit 840 equalizes the recording signal read by thereproducing head 824 and reproduces the recorded data.

The inner code correcting circuit 860 performs the error detection andthe error correction using the inner code with respect to the recordeddata.

The BD circuit 864 buffers the recorded data and outputs the same viathe FIFO circuit 866 to the signal processing system 642.

The signal processing system 642 performs the non-tracking processingand the error correction and depacking processing using the outer codewith respect to the recorded data and outputs the resultant data via theFIFO circuit 944 to the data recombining circuit 948.

The data recombining circuit 948 performs the data recombiningprocessing and outputs the audio and/or video data of the normal speedto the external unit.

Note that, for example, it is also possible to read the recorded datafrom the VTR tape 614 by using not only the reproducing head 824, butalso the reproducing heads 826 and 828, reproduce three sets of recordeddata by using the signal processing systems 642 and 644 in parallel, andtake a majority decision so as to enhance the reliability of therecorded data.

Operation at 2×Speed Reproduction

Below, an explanation will be made of a case where the reproduction unit650 reproduces the recorded data (recording signals) recorded on the VTRtape 614 by the recording unit 610 of the VTR apparatus 601 (FIG. 13) at2×speed.

Even in a case where the recorded data is reproduced at 2×speed, asshown in FIG. 22, for example, the BD circuit 864 performs the routingso as to output also the recorded data input from either of the innercode correcting circuits 860 and 862 to the FIFO circuits 866 and 868,only the signal processing system 642 and the FIFO circuit 944 operate,and the signal processing system 644 and the FIFO circuit 946 do notperform the processing.

Where the reproduction is carried out at normal speed, only therecording signals read by for example the reproducing heads 824 and 826among the reproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and 830 of the reproducinghead unit 652 (FIG. 18) are used.

The tape travelling unit 616 makes the VTR tape 614 travel at a speedtwo times the speed at the normal speed reproduction, while the drum 820rotates at the rotational speed at the time of normal speedreproduction.

The equalizing circuits 840 and 842 respectively equalize the recordingsignals read by the reproducing heads 824 and 826 and reproduce therecorded data.

The inner code correcting circuit 860 performs the error detection andthe error correction using the inner code with respect to the recordeddata.

The BD circuit 864 buffers the recorded data and outputs the same viathe FIFO circuit 866 to the signal processing system 642.

The signal processing system 642 performs the non-tracking processingand the error correction and depacking processing using the outer codewith respect to the recorded data and outputs the resultant data via theFIFO circuit 944 to the data recombining circuit 948.

Note that, the inner code correcting circuit 860, the BD circuit 864 andthe signal processing system 642 can respectively solely operate at theprocessing speed regarding the 2×speed reproduction as mentioned above.

The data recombining circuit 948 performs the data recombiningprocessing and outputs the audio and/or video data of the normal speedto the external unit.

Note that, for example, similar to the case where the normal speedreproduction is carried out, it is also possible to read the recordeddata from the VTR tape 614 by using not only the reproducing heads 824and 826, but also the reproducing heads 828 and 830, reproduce each twosame recorded data by using the signal processing systems 642 and 644 inparallel, and take a coincidence of these recording data so as toenhance the reliability of the recorded data.

Operation at Head Clog

Below, an explanation will be made of an operation (countermeasure)where a head clog is caused in a reproducing head when the reproductionunit 650 performs the normal speed reproduction.

For example, as mentioned above, there is sometimes a problem when therecorded data is reproduced by using the reproducing head 824 when thereproducing head 824 clogs and thus the recorded data can not benormally reproduced.

When the head clog occurs in the reproducing head 824, the error rate ofrecorded data detected at the inner code correcting circuit 860 becomeshigh.

In such a case, for example, where both of the error rates of the tworecorded data detected at the outer code correcting circuit 920 exceed aconstant threshold value, the reproducing heads 826, 828, and 830 aresequentially used in place of the reproducing head 824 to read therecorded data (recording signals) is read and carry out the reproductionprocessing.

By constituting the reproduction unit 650 in this way, even if a headclog is caused in one of the reproducing heads 824, 826, 828, and 830,the recorded data can be correctly reproduced.

Operation at Jog Shuttle Reproduction

Below, an explanation will be made of the operation of shuttlereproduction for the recorded data from the VTR tape 614 (FIG. 13) bythe reproduction unit 650.

Here, shuttle reproduction means a reproduction method enabling the VTRtape to travel at any speed (m times; m is not equal to 1) differentfrom the travelling speed for reproducing the recorded data from the VTRtape 614 at normal speed and using only one reproducing head toreproducing as much of the audio and/or video data as possible. This isdifferent from the multiple speed reproduction in which all of the audioand/or video data must be reproduced. Note that, a case of 1≧|m | willbe particularly referred to as jog reproduction, and a case where 1<|m |will be particularly referred to as shuttle reproduction.

The tape travelling unit 616 makes the recorded data run from the VTRtape 614 at any speed. Only the reproducing head 824 is used. The drum820 rotates at a rotational speed corresponding to the tape runningspeed and makes the reproducing head 824 (FIG. 18) of the reproducinghead unit 52 scan the helical tracks of the VTR tape 614.

Below, an explanation will be made of a case where m >>1, for example, mis equal to about 20.

The reproducing head 824 reads the recording signal from the VTR tape614.

The equalizing circuit 840 performs the equalization processing for theread recording signal and reproduces the recorded data.

The inner code correcting circuit 860 performs the error detectionprocessing and error correction processing using the inner code withrespect to the reproduced recorded data.

The BD circuit 864 outputs all of the recorded data for which the errorcorrection etc. were carried out, so as to enable as long a string ofGOPs as possible to input to the non-tracking processing circuits 880and 882, up to the limit of the processing capability of thenon-tracking processing circuits 880 and 882, to the non-trackingprocessing circuit 880 via the FIFO circuit 866.

That is, where for example the non-tracking processing circuit 880 has acapability of processing k number (k>1) of GOPs worth of recorded datawithin one GOP time (FIG. 21), the BD circuit 864 outputs k number ofcontinuous, correlated GOPs worth of the recorded data to thenon-tracking processing circuit 880 for every GOP time and abandons therecorded data which cannot be processed by the non-tracking processingcircuit 880.

The non-tracking processing circuit 880 sequentially buffers the knumber of GOPs worth of recorded data input via the FIFO circuit 866,selects the recorded data having a low error rate, and performs thedeinterleave processing with respect to the selected recorded data.

The outer code correcting circuit 920 performs the error correctionprocessing using the outer code (FIG. 14A) with respect to thedeinterleaved recorded data.

The data depacking circuit 940 demultiplexes the audio and/or video dataetc. from the recorded data, buffers the same in the jog memory circuit960, and outputs this via the FIFO circuit 944 to the data recombiningcircuit 948.

The data recombining circuit 948 bypasses the audio and/or video data tobe input in the case of the jog shuttle reproduction and outputs this tothe data decimation circuit 638.

Also the data decimation circuit 638 bypasses the audio and/or videodata to be input in the case of the jog shuttle reproduction, outputsthe audio data AOUT to the external unit, and outputs the video data tothe video data expanding circuit 640.

In this way, in accordance with the processing capability of thenon-tracking processing circuit 880, by supplying the recorded data ofcontinuous GOPs to the non-tracking processing circuit 880, the recordeddata (audio and/or video data) of k number of correlated GOPs iscontinuously output to the external unit.

When the processing mentioned here is not carried out, but the jogshuttle reproduction is carried out, random audio and/or video data notcorrelated with each other will be output to the external unit, and thequality of the audio and/or video data is remarkably lowered.

However, as mentioned here, by constituting the reproduction unit 650 soas to output the audio and/or video data of continuous GOPs as much aspossible to the external unit, a larger amount of audio and/or videodata having a large correlation obtained by performing the jog shuttlereproduction can be reproduced, and the quality of the reproduced audioand/or video data can be improved.

Note that, as m, any positive or negative value can be used.

Further, for example, where −1<m<1 is set, by making the inner codecorrecting circuit 860 and the signal processing system 642 etc. performthe same processing as that in the normal speed reproduction andrepeatedly outputting the audio and/or video data buffered to the jogmemory circuit 960, the audio and/or video data lost since the multiplespeed m was set to be smaller than 1 may be supplemented. Note that itdoes not matter if the components of the VTR apparatus 601 andreproduction units 620 and 650 shown in the above explained embodimentsare constituted by software or constituted by hardware so far as theycan realize the same facility and performances.

Further, the number of the reproducing heads of the reproducing headunit 652 given was only an example.

Further, by suitably performing the control with respect to thecomponents of the tape travelling unit 616, drum 820, and reproductionunit 650 of the VTR apparatus 601, particularly the jog memory circuits960 and 962, multiple speed reproduction of a non-whole multiple speed,for example, 2.1×, is also possible in addition to multiple speedreproduction of a whole multiple speed.

In the above data reproducing apparatus (VTR apparatus 601 andreproduction units 620 and 650), the conditions placed on theoperational speed of the components are easier, therefore, whendeveloping the VTR apparatus 601, it is not necessary to use specialhigh speed operating parts. Accordingly, step-by-step development ispossible, for example, proceeding with development using general partsand, when the high speed operating parts become cheap and more readilyavailable, replacing the components constituted by general parts by themso as to further improve the performance. Further, research anddevelopment costs are lower as well.

Further, according to the above data reproducing apparatus, even whenproviding a model able to perform only usual reproduction (normal speedreproduction) with a multiple speed reproduction (high speedreproduction) facility, especially high costs are not necessary,therefore greater system flexibility can be provided.

Further, according to the above data reproducing apparatus, even if ahead clog is caused in a reproducing head, no inconvenience occurs inthe usual reproduction.

In addition, according to the above data reproducing apparatus, thequality of the audio and/or video data obtained by the jog shuttlereproduction can be improved.

Also, according to the above data reproducing apparatus, there can beprovided a non-tracking type data reproducing apparatus (VTR apparatus)which can perform multiple speed reproduction while using mechanicalparts with a precision equivalent to that of a VTR apparatus forperforming normal speed reproduction.

Further, according to the above data reproducing apparatus, there can beprovided a non-tracking type data reproducing apparatus which canperform multiple speed reproduction without the use of special highspeed operating parts in the equalization processing circuit or errorcorrection processing circuit, etc.

Further, according to the above data reproducing apparatus, theperformances of other special reproduction processing facilities, forexample, the jog shuttle reproduction facility, can be enhanced byactively using the components used for realizing the multiple speedreproduction.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The video data recording and reproducing apparatus, audio and/or videodata recording and reproducing apparatus and its system, and datarecording apparatus can be used for editing systems used in editing workof videos in television broadcasting stations etc. and for serversystems for storing and managing audio and/or video data.

What is claimed is:
 1. An audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatus comprising: recording and reproducing means forrecording and reproducing audio and/or video data; first input/outputcontrolling means for receiving a control input signal from an externalunit and inputting and outputting the audio and/or video data of a firstdata rate with the recording and reproducing means in accordance withthe received control input signal; second input/output controlling meansfor receiving the control input signal and inputting and outputting theaudio and/or video data of a second data rate higher than the first datarate with the recording and reproducing means in accordance with thereceived control input signal; and recording and reproductioncontrolling means for transmitting and receiving a predetermined controlsignal to and from at least the first input/output controlling means andthe second input/output controlling means and controlling theinput/output controlling means of the first input/output controllingmeans and the second input/output controlling means; said recording andreproduction controlling means having recording region assigning meansfor receiving a notification of a recording request signal requestingthe recording of the input audio and/or video data input from theexternal unit to the recording and reproducing means from the firstinput/output controlling means and the second input/output controllingmeans and assigning the recording regions of the recording andreproducing means in which the input audio and/or video data is to berecorded and recording region notifying means for notifying the firstinput/output controlling means and the second input/output controllingmeans of the recording region notification signal indicating therecording regions of the recording and reproducing means assigned to theinput audio and/or video data, and wherein each of the firstinput/output controlling means and the second input/output controllingmeans has recording request notifying means for notifying the recordingand reproduction controlling means of the recording request signal fromthe external unit and recording controlling means for receiving therecording region notification signal and controlling the recording andreproducing means and making the same record the input audio and/orvideo data in the recording regions of the recording and reproducingmeans indicated by the received recording region notification signal. 2.An audio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatus as setforth in claim 1, where the recording and reproducing control means hasa recording region searching means for receiving the notification of thereproduction request signal requesting the reproduction of the audioand/or video data recorded in the recording and reproducing means andoutput of the same to the external unit from the input/outputcontrolling means and searching for the reproduction regions of therecording and reproducing means in which the audio and/or video data forwhich the reproduction was requested is recorded and a reproductionregion notifying means for notifying the first input/output controllingmeans of the reproduction region notification signal indicating thereproduction regions of the recording and reproducing means found as aresult of search; each of the first input/output controlling means andthe second input/output controlling means has a recording andreproduction notifying means for receiving the reproduction requestsignal from the external unit and notifying the recording andreproduction controlling means of the same, a reproduction controllingmeans for receiving the reproduction region notification signal from thereproduction region notifying means of the recording and reproductioncontrolling means and controlling the recording and reproducing means,reproducing the input audio and/or video data from the reproductionregions of the recording and reproducing means indicated by the receivedreproduction region notification signal, and outputting the same to theexternal unit, and an ending notifying means for receiving an audioand/or video data ending signal indicating the ending of the audioand/or video data for which the reproduction was requested from therecording and reproducing means and notifying the external unit of thesame; and the recording and reproducing means has an audio and/or videodata ending means for notifying the first input/output controlling meansof the audio and/or video data ending signal indicating the ending ofthe audio and/or video data when the reproduced audio and/or video datais ended.
 3. An audio and/or video data recording and reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the first input/outputcontrolling means, the second input/output controlling means, and therecording and reproducing means are connected via a same data bus andthe first input/output controlling means, the second input/outputcontrolling means, and the recording and reproducing means are connectedvia the same control bus.
 4. An audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where the recording andreproducing means records and reproduces audio and/or video data withrespect to a recording medium capable of recording and reproducing audioand/or video data of a base band of the first data rate.
 5. An audioand/or video data recording and reproducing system having a plurality ofaudio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatuses; each ofthe audio and/or video data recording and reproducing apparatuses havinga recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing theaudio and/or video data, a first input/output controlling means forreceiving a control input signal from the external unit and inputtingand outputting audio and/or video data of a first data rate with therecording and reproducing means in accordance with the received controlinput signal, a second input/output controlling means for receiving acontrol input signal and inputting and outputting audio and/or videodata of a second data rate higher than the first data rate with therecording and reproducing means in accordance with the received controlinput signal, and a recording and reproduction controlling means fortransmitting and receiving a predetermined control signal to and from atleast the first input/output controlling means and the secondinput/output controlling means and controlling the first input/outputcontrolling means and the second input/output controlling means; therecording and reproduction controlling means having a recording regionassigning means for receiving a notification of a recording requestsignal requesting the recording of the input audio and/or video datainput from the external unit to the recording and reproducing means fromthe first input/output controlling means and the second input/outputcontrolling means and assigning recording regions of the recording andreproducing means in which the input audio and/or video data is to berecorded and a recording region notifying means for notifying the firstinput/output controlling means and the second input/output controllingmeans of the recording region notification signal indicating therecording regions of the recording and reproducing means assigned to theinput audio and/or video data; and each of the first input/outputcontrolling means and the second input/output controlling means having arecording request notifying means for notifying the recording andreproduction controlling means of the recording request signal from theexternal unit and a recording controlling means for receiving therecording region notification signal and controlling the recording andreproducing means and making the same record the input audio and/orvideo data in the recording regions of the recording and reproducingmeans indicated by the received recording region notification signal;and the second input/output controlling means of the plurality of audioand/or video data recording and reproducing apparatuses are connected,and the audio and/or video data of the second data rate is transmittedand received between these audio and/or video data recording andreproducing apparatuses.
 6. A data reproducing apparatus having a rotarydrum, n (n>2) number of data reading head means disposed on an outerperipheral surface of the rotary drum and a data reproducing means forreproducing recorded data alternately recorded on helical tracks of thetape recording medium at a first azimuth angle and a second azimuthangle by using identification data recorded on the helical tracks andindicating an order of the recorded data, in which the rotary drumrotates at a constant rotational speed to make the n number of datareadings each of the n number of data reading head means has two firstreproducing heads which scan the helical tracks given the first azimuthangle and a helical track separated by one track distance and read therecorded data and the identification data and two second reproducingheads which scan the helical tracks given the first azimuth angle and ahelical track separated by one track distance and read the recorded dataand the identification data; the data reproducing means has an errordetecting means for detecting the error of each of the identificationdata and the recorded data read by the n number of data reading headmeans, a data selecting means for selecting each recorded data havingthe smallest error from among the recorded data read by each of the nnumber of data reading head means, and a data arranging means forarranging the recorded data selected based on the identification datacorresponding to each of the selected recorded data in the order of thetime of the recording and outputting the same.
 7. A data reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the data reproducing meanshas a plurality of error detecting means which are provided individuallycorresponding to the n number of data reading head means or parts anddetect the error of each of the recorded data read by the respectivelycorresponding data reading head means and a plurality of data selectingmeans which are provided individually corresponding to the n number ofdata reading head means or parts and select the recorded data having thesmallest error from among the recorded data whose error was detected bythe respectively corresponding error detecting means; and the dataarranging means arranges and outputs the recorded data selected by eachof the n number of data selecting means in the order of the time ofrecording based on the corresponding identification data.
 8. A datareproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the taperecording medium travels at a travelling speed of m times (2≦|m|≦n) thetravelling speed when reproducing the recorded data at normal speed; therotary drum rotates at a rotational speed corresponding to thetravelling speed of the tape recording medium when reproducing therecorded data at normal speed to make the n number of data reading headmeans scan the helical tracks; the n number of data reading head meansscanning the helical tracks read the recorded data and theidentification data from each of the scanned helical tracks; and thedata reproducing means arranges the recorded data read by the m numberof data reading head means among the n number of data reading head meansin the order of the time of the recording based on the correspondingidentification data and outputs the recorded data at m×speed.
 9. A datareproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the recorded datais audio and/or video data; the tape recording medium travels at atravelling speed different from the travelling speed when reproducingthe audio and/or video data at normal speed; the rotary drum rotates ata rotational speed corresponding to the travelling speed of the taperecording medium to makes all or one part of the n number of datareading head means scan the helical tracks; each of the data readinghead means scanning the helical tracks reads the audio and/or video dataand the identification data from each of the scanned helical tracks; thedata reproducing means further has a buffering means for buffering theaudio and/or video data arranged in the order of the time of recordingand outputting the same; and the audio and/or video data read by thedata reading head means scanning the helical tracks is sequentiallyoutput to perform jog shuttle reproduction.